Factors affecting mango tree architecture.
Sant Ram
Author Affiliation: Department of Horticulture, GB Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar 263?145, District of Nainital, Uttar Pradesh, India.
: 177-191
Abstract : Mango cv. Dashehari trees were propagated by various vegetative methods, viz. inarching, veneer grafting, stone grafting, stooling, air layering and cleft grafting, in Aug. 1976, and planted at a spacing of 5 × 5 m in Sep. 1977. Observations on the growth of these trees and on other mango trees in various other trials (including cultivar, pruning and planting density trials) at the research station and at various commercial orchards are discussed. For commercial production, trees are commonly propagated using veneer grafting or inarching onto a seedling rootstock at a height of 20-25 cm. This form of propagation produces a low, branching, multi-stemmed, spreading habit, which hinders early cultivation and requires lower branches to be removed in later years. Close planting, however, encourages tall trees with low yields. Tree architecture is therefore controlled by grafting height and method, rootstock, planting density, training and pruning, intercropping and climate as well as cultivar. Trees propagated by stone grafting, veneer grafting or inarching grow faster than trees propagated by stooling or air layering. Trees can be discouraged from spreading by grafting high and training carefully.