Effect of water stress on mango flowering in low latitude tropics of northern Australia.
Lu P., Chacko E. K.
Author Affiliation: CSIRO Plant Industry, Darwin Laboratory, PMB 44, Winnellie, NT 0822, Australia.
: 283-289
Abstract : In the sub-tropics, night temperatures of 15?°C or lower induce mango floral morphogenesis whereas temperatures of ~20?°C or higher promote vegetative growth. In the tropics where temperatures may remain too high for induction of flowering by cool nights, a dry period preceding flowering is generally believed to be necessary for reliable mango flowering. However, the effect of the soil water deficit on flowering response is still a matter of controversy. The effect of soil water stress on flowering in mango trees grown under quasi-natural conditions (in open-air and in 200-litre drums) in a commercial orchard located 10 km southwest of Ayr in the dry-tropical region of Queensland, Australia was studied. Controlled soil water deficit lasting 5 weeks was demonstrated to promote earlier and more intense flowering in mango trees of both 'Kensington' and 'Irwin' cultivars. Final fruit yield was also higher in water-stressed trees. Environment × genotype effects on mango flowering were also discussed.