The water regime as environmental determinant in the floral initiation of mango (Mangifera indica L.) cultivars Haden and Edward under tropical conditions.
Pérez Macías M., Puche M., Soto E., Figueroa R., Gutiérrez M., Avilán Rovira L. A.
Author Affiliation: Instututo Nacional de Investigaciones Agrícolas (INIA), Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Agropecuarias (CENIAP), Maracay, 2101, Venezuela.
Revista Cientifica UDO Agricola 12 : 770-778
Abstract : The beginning of flowering in tropical fruits is mostly credit to environmental control mechanisms starting at the exit of a period of relative rest. This period can be initiated by rain time accompanied by a cooling of the atmosphere. In the experimental field of the National Center for Agronomic Research (CENIAP), Maracay, Venezuela, the climate was characterized using the historic series (1980-2008) and the meteorological conditions during the trial were registered and compared both with the aim of detected atypical values. It was used the reproductive phenology of mango cultivars Haden and Edward and the agroclimatic index were generated result of the relation wet regime - reproductive phenology. None atypical cycle was show up in the trial climatic conditions in order to the variability described during 1980-2008 period. It not was water deficit in the 12 weeks preceding the occurrence of visual expression of flowering based in the fact that, the ratio between real evapotranspiration and potential evapotranspiration showed values greater than 0,5 indicating that the water demand was supplied in this biological stage. The floral initiation, in the tropics, it is not a direct answer of the water deficit, this factor complement the floral expression, delineating its origin and duration in order to the varietal characteristic and individual condition. 'Edward' is show up as a genotype with more capacity to the lead flowering than the Haden cultivar.