EFFECT OF SOIL APPLIED PACLOBUTRAZOL ON FRUIT RETENTION, FRUIT SIZE, TREE YIELD AND TREE REVENUE IN ‘SENSATION’ AND ‘TOMMY ATKINS’ MANGO

One or 10 ml of Cultar® made up to 100 ml with water (0.25 g a.i. or 2.50 g a.i.) was applied to the soil by making a 60 cm-diameter ring around the trunk of two-year-old ‘Sensation’ and ‘Tommy Atkins’ mango trees just prior to the initiation of postharvest flushing. In ‘Sensation’, average fruit weight (final fruit size) and tree revenue were increased in direct relation to the rate of paclobutrazol (PBZ) applied. Number of fruit retained and tree yield were not affected. In ‘Tommy Atkins’, number of fruit retained, average fruit weight, tree yield, and tree revenue were reduced in direct relation to the rate of PBZ applied. The contrasting results between the cultivars appeared to relate to a difference in responsiveness to paclobutrazol. The retarding effect of paclobutrazol on extension or expansion growth was generally limited in ‘Sensation’, but was pronounced in ‘Tommy Atkins’.

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