Floral induction study in mango in Guadeloupe.
Lyannaz J. P.
Author Affiliation: CIRAD-FLHOR, Station de Neufchâteau, Sainte-Marie, 97130 Capesterre-Belle-Eau, Guadeloupe.
Fruits (Paris) 49 : 355-358, 450-452
Abstract : Flowerset (240 g KNO3/litre), applied at 15 cc/litre by foliar spraying, and Miracle Blum Powder (full composition not known, but analysis revealed total N content of 25%, part as ammonium and part as nitrate), foliar applied at 15 g/litre, were tested on cv. Eldon, grafted on 10-year-old, non-improved local mango trees, in Jan. 1991; trees received about 14 litres solution/tree, although only the lower 2/3 of the foliage was treated. A second experiment was carried out on 3-year-old, grafted, cv. Haden mango trees in Mar. 1991 with 3 flower-inducing substances: Flowerset (15 cc/litre, 10 litres/tree), KNO3 (10 or 40 g/litre, applied at 10 litres/tree) and paclobutrazol (60 cc Cultar in 20 litres water applied by undertree irrigation followed by sprinkling). In both experiments, the KNO3 treatments induced flowering, as did the Miracle Blum treatment in experiment 1; fruit yields were also increased. Paclobutrazol gave poor results. In the study with cv. Haden, the best results were obtained with 10 g KNO3/litre: 59.25 flowers and 25 fruits/tree, compared with 1.76 flowers and 0.94 fruits/tree for the control.