Contribution of morphological growth components towards canopy development in mango (Mangifera indica L.).
Kurian R. M., Iyer C. P. A.
Author Affiliation: Division of Fruit Crops, Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Hessaraghatta Lake P.O., Bangalore 560 065, Karnataka, India.
Gartenbauwissenschaft 62 : 202-206
Abstract : The canopy size and vigour of 24, 9-year-old mango cultivars, growing in India, were determined in June 1986. Cultivars were classed as least vigorous (canopy volume 14 m³), medium vigorous (canopy volume 14-25 m³) or most vigorous (canopy volume >25 m³). Shoots which had fruited in 1986 were selected and growth parameters were measured from 1986 to 1988. The extent of vegetative flushing and length of shoots were highly correlated with canopy size and vigour, indicating the need to give emphasis to these characters in programmes designed to modify canopy size in mango. The number of vegetative flushes produced in a year and the number of nodes and internodal length of shoots did not have much influence on canopy size or vigour, which showed good positive association with leaf size, but not with stomatal density. Productivity was inversely related to canopy size. A linear regression model to predict canopy volume based on easy to record morphological traits is proposed.