ISHS Acta Horticulturae 509: VI International Symposium on Mango
EFFECT OF WATER STRESS ON MANGO FLOWERING IN LOW LATITUDE TROPICS OF NORTHERN AUSTRALIA |
| Authors: | P. Lu, E.K. Chacko |
| Keywords: | Mangifera indica L., soil water deficit, temperature |
| Abstract:
In the sub-tropics, night temperatures of 15°C or lower induce mango floral morphogenesis whereas temperatures of about 20°C or higher promote vegetative growth. In the tropics where temperatures may remain too high for induction of flowering by cool nights, a dry period preceding flowering is generally believed to be necessary for reliable mango flowering. However, the effect of the soil water deficit on flowering response is still a matter of controversy. Our studies, for the first time, examined the effect of soil water stress on flowering in mango trees grown under quasi-natural conditions (in open-air and in 200-litre drums) in the low latitude tropics. Controlled soil water deficit lasting 5 weeks was demonstrated to promote earlier and more intense flowering in mango trees of both ‘Kensington’ and ‘Irwin’ cultivars. Final fruit yield was also higher in water- stressed trees. Environment  genotype effects on mango flowering were also discussed.
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