EFFECT OF TIME AND SEVERITY OF FRUIT THINNING ON FRUIT RETENTION, FRUIT SIZE, YIELD, AND REVENUE IN ‘SENSATION’ MANGO

Various proportions of inflorescences per tree (0, 25, 50 or 75%) were removed at one or two-week intervals, commencing at or soon after the time of initial fruit set in early October. The fruit remaining were thinned to leave the largest one per inflorescence when differences in fruit size were apparent. One fruit was arbitrarily chosen and left when differences in fruit size were not apparent. Thinning was most effective in increasing the size of the remaining fruit when performed at or soon after initial fruit set. Number of fruit retained and tree yield were a direct reflection of thinning severity, whereas tree revenue was strongly influenced by fruit size. Thinning before differences in fruit size were apparent resulted in a marked reduction in fruit retention and tree revenue. Thinning when differences in fruit size had just become apparent in association with the removal of half of the inflorescences per tree, was most beneficial. Tree revenue was more than doubled by this treatment.

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