Rootstock affects yield, yield efficiency, and harvest rate of 'Kensington Pride' mango.
Smith M. W., Hoult M. D., Bright J. D.
Author Affiliation: Katherine Research Station, Northern Territory Department of Primary Industry and Fisheries, Katherine 0851, Australia.
HortScience 38 : 273-276
Abstract : Low yields and high harvesting costs are long-standing problems in mango (Mangifera indica) cultivation. In an effort to increase productivity in the scion 'Kensington Pride', we examined the impact of 9 different rootstocks (Sg. Siput, False Julie, Pineapple, Kensington Pride, Teluk Anson, Strawberry, Mempelam Telur, Lemon D2 and Sabre). Rootstock effects on fruit production were significant in most seasons, and cumulative yields (9 seasons of cropping, from 1987 to 1996) for the best treatment (Sg. Siput) exceeded those of the poorest treatment (Sabre) by 141%. Yield efficiencies (expressed on both a trunk cross-sectional area and canopy silhouette area basis) were also significantly affected by rootstock. Rootstock effects on yield and yield efficiency were generally consistent across seasons, despite large seasonal variations in yield. Harvest rates were also influenced by rootstock, and were poorly correlated with tree size. These results demonstrate possibilities for manipulating mango scion productivity through rootstock genotype.