Study of apple and mango training systems. Research and application elements.
Lauri P. É., Goguey T.
Author Affiliation: Laboratoire d'Arboriculture Fruitière, UR GAP, Inra-Montpellier, 2 place Viala, 34060 Montpellier cedex 2, France.
Fruits (Paris) 54 : 359-369
Abstract : This article sets out to identify research approaches for better mango production management by examining concepts in apple growing which have resulted in improved training. In apple, there is a link between the growth habit of different cultivars and the tendency towards alternating production. Studies have backed up the idea of fruiting branches as a work unit whose development has to be controlled by growers. Mango trees grow rhythmically. Their axes are the result of stacked successive growth units, and their architecture depends on 3 organizational units: architectural units (AU); early reiterated complexes; and late reiterated complexes (minimal AUs within the other 2 units). The temporal and spatial separation of vegetative and reproductive events means that the meristems have differing functions of variable frequency depending on the axis category. A comparison of work conducted on apple and mango focused on 3 topics: integration levels within the tree and their agronomic merits; relations between vegetative growth and flowering; and controlling fruiting by training the tree. Two approaches to improving mango tree training are suggested.