Mechanical pruning to control tree size, flowering, and yield of mature 'Tommy Atkins' mango trees.
Medina-Urrutia V. M., Nuñez-Elisea R.
Author Affiliation: INIFAP - Tecomán, Apartado Postal No. 88, CP 28100 Tecomán, Mexico.
: 305-314
Abstract : During 1992-94, the effects of mechanical pruning on tree size, flowering and yields of mango cv. Tommy Atkins trees grown at Saucito, Colima, Mexico, were investigated. The topping angle (0, 15 or 30°), hedging intensity (1, 2 or 4 sides of each tree) and frequency of combined topping and hedging (annual or biennial) were evaluated. More and larger new shoots were produced on pruned trees than on control trees. Topping reduced yields in 1993, however in 1994, yields of topped trees increased, and those topped at 15° produced significantly higher yields (283 kg/tree) than controls (224 kg/tree). Annual hedging of 1 or 2 sides, and biannual hedging of 4 sides, caused yield reductions of 28, 33 and 42%, respectively, compared with non-pruned trees. Combined applications of biannual mechanical topping and hedging controlled tree size and produced the highest cumulative yield over the 3 years (611 kg/tree), although the cumulative yield for controls was highest (815 kg/tree).