New Zealand Journal of Crop and Horticultural Science abstracts
Paclobutrazol suppressed vegetative growth and improved yield as well
as fruit quality of ‘Tommy Atkins’ mango (Mangifera indica) in Ethiopia
Teferi Yeshitela
P. J. Robbertse
Department of Plant Production and Soil Sciences
University of Pretoria
Pretoria 0002
South Africa
email: tefe28@yahoo.com
P. J. C. Stassen
Department of Horticultural Science
University of Stellenbosch
Private Bag x1
Matieland 7602
South Africa
Abstract The effects of paclobutrazol on the vegetative
growth, reproductive development, total non-structural carbohydrate of the
shoots, and nutrient mobilisation to the leaves of ‘Tommy Atkins’ mango (Mangifera
indica) trees grown in the Rift Valley of Ethiopia were evaluated during
the 2002/03 season. The trees used were characterised by excessive vegetative
growth, erratic flowering, and fruiting with declining productivity that
validated the evaluation of paclobutrazol. Uniform trees were selected for
a randomised complete block design experiment with two methods (soil and
spraying) and four rates of paclobutrazol (0, 2.75, 5.50, 8.25 g a.i. per
tree) in factorial combinations. There were three blocks and three trees
per plot for each treatment. The results showed that application of paclobutrazol
at rates of 5.50 and 8.25 g a.i. per tree both as a soil drench and spray
applications were effective in suppressing vegetative growth compared with
the control. Consequently, the trees from these treatments had higher total
non-structural carbohydrate in their shoots before flowering. Compared with
the control, trees treated with paclobutrazol had higher results for percentages
of shoots flowering, number of panicles produced, percentages of hermaphrodite
flowers, yield as well as quality of the fruit. Applications of paclobutrazol
did not affect the leaf macronutrient content levels analysed (N, P, K, and
Ca), and with the exception of manganese, the micronutrient (Cu, Zn, and
Fe) levels of the treated tree’s leaves were significantly higher than the
control.
Keywords paclobutrazol; mango; leaf mineral content;
total non-structural carbohydrate
H04001; Received 6 January 2004; accepted 5 April 2004; Online publication
date 9 September 2004
New Zealand Journal of Crop and Horticultural Science, 2004, Vol. 32:
281-293
0014-0671/04/3203-0281 $7.00 © The Royal Society of New Zealand
2004
PDF file of entire paper: Print-quality (207K) |
screen-quality (140K)
This year's abstracts |
Journal home page |
All abstracts |
Publishing home page
