Journal Of Applied Horticulture ISSN: 0972-1045



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B. Gopu, T.N. Balamohan1, P. Soman2 and P. Jeyakumar3

Department of Fruit Crops, Horticultural College and Research Institute, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore (TN), India. 1Horticultural College and Research Institute for Women, Trichy, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore

Key words: Mango pruning, flowering, fruit set, fruit yield and quality.

Journal of Applied Horticulture, 2014, volume 16, issue 1, pages 50-53.

Abstract: An experiment was conducted to study the effect of different pruning levels on flowering, yield and quality characters in Alphonso mango under Ultra High Density Planting from 2010-2011 at Jain Irrigation Systems Pvt. Limited (JISL) Farms, Udumalpet, Tripur District, Tamil Nadu. The treatments included control, light pruning, moderate pruning, heavy pruning, 50 per cent removal of past season growth and total removal of past season growth and imposed on five-year-old uniform sized Alphonso trees grown under a close spacing of 3 x 2 m. The minimum number of days taken for first flowering and 50 per cent flowering were recorded by the control. The highest number of panicles per tree and the maximum number of panicles produced per sq.m canopy area were recorded in the control. However, highest percentage of hermaphrodite flower per panicle and per cent fruit set were found in the treatment T5 (50 per cent removal of past season's growth and tipping). Fruit and yield characters were influenced by different pruning levels. Treatment T2 (light pruning) recorded the highest mean fruit weight, fruit length, fruit volume, fruit pulp weight and stone weight. However, treatment T3 (moderate pruning) registered highest fruit circumference. Highest pulp to stone ratio was observed in T4 (Heavy pruning) followed by T2 (light pruning). Highest number of fruits per tree and yield per tree were observed in control. Highest total soluble solids, total sugars and non reducing sugars of the fruit were observed in T6 (total removal of past season's growth). The maximum acidity and ascorbic acid content were observed in control. Maximum total carotenoid content was recorded in T3 (moderate pruning) and reducing sugars in T4 (heavy pruning).



Journal of Applied Horticulture