Evaluation of flowering promoters and plant water status during the off cycle of three mango (Mangifera indica L.) varieties.
Sanchez J., Durand G.
Author Affiliation: Universidad Nacional Experimental de Los Llanos Ezequiel Zamora, Mesa de Cavacas, Guanare, Venezuela.
Proceedings of the Interamerican Society for Tropical Horticulture 42 : 232-235
Abstract : Foliar calcium nitrate was tested against foliar calcium nitrate plus boron applied directly to the soil for its ability to promote flowering in mango cultivars Zill, Glenn and Irwin. The study was conducted at the Marfilar Experimental Station, located in Guanare (150 m above sea level), northwestern Venezuela (8°49? N, 69°49?W). The treatments were: (1) foliar calcium nitrate at 6%, (2) foliar calcium nitrate as in (1) but complemented after flowering with calcium nitrate + boron (4.8 kg/plant) applied to the soil, and (3) control. Noon leaf water potential (?1) was measured with a Scholander pressure pump once a week to evaluate plant water status during the flowering process. After flowering the following variables were measured: number of panicles/branch and tree, number of flowers/panicle and number of fruits/panicle. Yield was evaluated as total fruit weight per tree. The highest ?1 values were obtained in the control trees. The two calcium nitrate treatments seemed to increase the ?1 in the mango cultivars studied. Results indicated that the calcium nitrate successfully advanced flowering in the 3 cultivars by 1 month compared with natural flowering. The fruit number was significantly higher in treatment (2). The control trees exhibited less flowering and most of the small number of fruits set did not develop to maturity.