Performance of mango shoots in trees treated with different pruning intensities, paclobutrazol and potassium nitrate.
Avilán L., Marín R. C., Rodríguez M., Ruíz J.
Author Affiliation: FONAIAP, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Agropecuarias, Apdo. 4653, Maracay 2101, Estado Aragua, Venezuela.
Agronomía Tropical (Maracay) 50 : 347-360
Abstract : During active and quiescent vegetative periods, shoots of six-year-old mango (cv. Haden) trees grafted on cv. Criollo rootstock (with a density of 278 trees/ha), were subjected to the following treatments: (1) pruning at a height of 2.5 m with and without paclobutrazol soil application; (2) pruning at 2.5 m and thinning of two main branches; (3) pruning at 2.5 m and lateral pruning in a 2 m radius; and control (absence of pruning with or without paclobutrazol application). Trees were treated with potassium nitrate (6%) after 4 months of pruning. New shoots that did not exhibit vegetative growth comprised 10.42%. Six new shoots (12.5%) flowered, one of which remained quiescent during the period of study. Pruned and non-pruned shoots showed significant variations in the number of fluxes; growth duration; number and length of leaves; and bud numbers per flux. A larger number of quiescent periods, but of shorter duration, was observed. These preliminary results indicate the advantages of planting mango at high densities to improve productivity, using dwarfness-inductive rootstocks, pruning, and the application of growth regulators and flowering promoters.