Foliar fertilization of mango (cv. Haden) for the control of malformation.
Donald J. P. L., Rodríguez Mendoza M. de las N., Sánchez García P., Mora Aguilera A., Cárdenas Soriano E.
Author Affiliation: IRENAT-IFIT, México-Texcoco, Mexico.
: 667-673
Abstract : Mango plants produced in hydroponics with a modified Steiner solution were sprayed every 15 days for 5 months with 7 different foliage fertilizer formulae: NV3 formula based on macro- and micronutrients, NV5 containing nitrogen and micronutrients, NV3+Si, NV5+Si, 2% honey, honey+Si and Si alone. After the 5-month treatment period, four of the six replications per treatment were inoculated with Fusarium subglutinans [Gibberella fujikuroi var. subglutinans] to evaluate the effect of nutrition on the growth of the saplings and on changes caused by the pathogen. Three months after inoculation with the fungus, witches' broom appeared. The resistance of the plants to the pathogen, as an effect of nutrition via roots and via foliage, was quantified. Disease severity caused by the fungus in plants treated with NV5+Si was only 50% of that in plants to which Si alone was applied. The application of honey alone and with Si reduced the severity of the fungal disease to 75 and 71%, respectively. These results can be useful for the selection of foliage fertilizers for mango orchards where witches' broom markedly reduces the production and quality of the fruit.