Morpho-physiological changes as influenced by chemicals and growth regulators in alternate bearing mango cv. Alphonso.
Vijayalakshmi D., Srinivasan P. S.
Author Affiliation: Department of Crop Physiology, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, AC & RI, Coimbatore 641 003, India.
Madras Agricultural Journal 86 : 485-487
Abstract : Mango cv. Alphonso trees were supplied with 10 ml paclobutrazol (T1) during the second fortnight of September, and the leaves were sprayed with 1% potassium nitrate (T2), 1% urea (T3), 200 ppm Ethrel [ethephon] (T4), 20 ppm NAA (T5) and 5000 ppm mepiquat chloride (T6) at monthly intervals from September to January 1996, in a field experiment conducted in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India. Untreated trees served as control (T7). Samples were drawn at different stages: before spraying, during new flush formation, bud initiation, flowering and fruiting. The greatest mean specific leaf area was recorded from mepiquat chloride (508.67 cm2), followed by Ethrel (507.73 cm2); the lowest (387.40 cm2) was from paclobutrazol treatment. All the treatments increased specific leaf weight (SLW). The highest SLW was recorded from T2 (3.47 mg during flowering), while the lowest was from T4 (1.52 mg during fruiting). The highest mean SLW of 2.65 mg was recorded from T1 and T2.