Articles
Foliar fertilization during flowering improves the production of fruits with seeds in ‘Ataulfo’ mango
Article number
1415_13
Pages
119 – 128
Language
English
Abstract
In Mexico, the ‘Ataulfo’ mango is the most important cultivar due to the cultivated area (65.1 thousand ha), longer shelf life and better price in the export market.
The ‘Ataulfo’ mango produces stenopermocarpic fruits, which reduces the yield.
These fruits cause considerable losses in the producers’ economy; their presence can vary from 20 to 90% in the orchard and they are not commercial.
In Mexico, several studies have been carried out to increase the setting and size of stenopermocarpic fruit through the use of growth regulators; but the nutritional issue has not been investigated, despite the fact that this fruit has a lower macro- and micronutrients content than a normal fruit.
The objective was to increase the production of fruits with seed of ‘Ataulfo’ mango by applying nutrients.
The study was carried out from 2017 to 2019 in a commercial ‘Ataulfo’ mango orchard with an incidence of seedless fruits of 80%. Thirty-six trees of uniform vigor were selected, according to criteria of height and diameter of the cross-sectional area of the trunk, and were sprayed with nutrients.
Applications to foliage were evaluated at a dose of 1% each, calcium nitrate + urea, solubor, calcium nitrate, urea + solubor, solubil + calcium nitrate.
A completely randomized experimental design with six replications was used.
Five treatments plus the control were included and a tree was considered as an experimental unit.
Set fruit (number of seedless fruits and parthenocarpic fruits per inflorescence), fruit size and yield (number of fruits and kg tree-1) were evaluated.
In the first year of evaluation, the combination of urea + boron and boron + calcium surpassed the control in the number of fruits with seeds per inflorescence.
In 2019, the number of fruits with seeds varied between 2.7 and 5.3, with the boron + calcium treatment standing out, although it was statistically equal to the control.
Regarding stenopermocarpic fruits, the nitrogen + boron treatment had the highest number of fruits retained in 2019, with a similar trend in 2018, where in addition the applications of boron + calcium and only calcium, also retained more fruits ES. In the first year, the initial set fruit was increased from 41 to 47% with nitrogen + boron or with boron + calcium.
In the second year, an increase of 32% was detected with boron + calcium.
It was possible to increase the production of fruits with seed (kg tree-1) in most of the treatments, but with boron + calcium this was from 83 to 133% in 2019 and 2018, respectively.
In the first year, the total number of fruits with seeds tree-1 was greater in the treatments with boron, calcium and the combination of these stand out, surpassing the control.
In 2019, boron + calcium had the highest number of fruits followed by calcium treatment.
In stenospermocarpic fruits, during 2018, treatments with boron, calcium and the combination of these produced a lower number of seedless fruits tree-1. Regarding the size of the fruit, in 2018 the application of boron + calcium, calcium and nitrogen + boron increased the fresh weight of the fruit from 7 to 10%, surpassing the control.
However, in 2019, there were no differences between treatments.
The initial and final set fruit of fruits with seed increased the number of fruits and yield tree-1. In the two years of evaluation, the best treatment was the application of boron combined with calcium (B + Ca).
The ‘Ataulfo’ mango produces stenopermocarpic fruits, which reduces the yield.
These fruits cause considerable losses in the producers’ economy; their presence can vary from 20 to 90% in the orchard and they are not commercial.
In Mexico, several studies have been carried out to increase the setting and size of stenopermocarpic fruit through the use of growth regulators; but the nutritional issue has not been investigated, despite the fact that this fruit has a lower macro- and micronutrients content than a normal fruit.
The objective was to increase the production of fruits with seed of ‘Ataulfo’ mango by applying nutrients.
The study was carried out from 2017 to 2019 in a commercial ‘Ataulfo’ mango orchard with an incidence of seedless fruits of 80%. Thirty-six trees of uniform vigor were selected, according to criteria of height and diameter of the cross-sectional area of the trunk, and were sprayed with nutrients.
Applications to foliage were evaluated at a dose of 1% each, calcium nitrate + urea, solubor, calcium nitrate, urea + solubor, solubil + calcium nitrate.
A completely randomized experimental design with six replications was used.
Five treatments plus the control were included and a tree was considered as an experimental unit.
Set fruit (number of seedless fruits and parthenocarpic fruits per inflorescence), fruit size and yield (number of fruits and kg tree-1) were evaluated.
In the first year of evaluation, the combination of urea + boron and boron + calcium surpassed the control in the number of fruits with seeds per inflorescence.
In 2019, the number of fruits with seeds varied between 2.7 and 5.3, with the boron + calcium treatment standing out, although it was statistically equal to the control.
Regarding stenopermocarpic fruits, the nitrogen + boron treatment had the highest number of fruits retained in 2019, with a similar trend in 2018, where in addition the applications of boron + calcium and only calcium, also retained more fruits ES. In the first year, the initial set fruit was increased from 41 to 47% with nitrogen + boron or with boron + calcium.
In the second year, an increase of 32% was detected with boron + calcium.
It was possible to increase the production of fruits with seed (kg tree-1) in most of the treatments, but with boron + calcium this was from 83 to 133% in 2019 and 2018, respectively.
In the first year, the total number of fruits with seeds tree-1 was greater in the treatments with boron, calcium and the combination of these stand out, surpassing the control.
In 2019, boron + calcium had the highest number of fruits followed by calcium treatment.
In stenospermocarpic fruits, during 2018, treatments with boron, calcium and the combination of these produced a lower number of seedless fruits tree-1. Regarding the size of the fruit, in 2018 the application of boron + calcium, calcium and nitrogen + boron increased the fresh weight of the fruit from 7 to 10%, surpassing the control.
However, in 2019, there were no differences between treatments.
The initial and final set fruit of fruits with seed increased the number of fruits and yield tree-1. In the two years of evaluation, the best treatment was the application of boron combined with calcium (B + Ca).
Publication
Authors
M.H. Pérez-Barraza, I.J. González-Acuña, A. Álvarez-Bravo, M.V. Santos-Cárdenas
Keywords
Mangifera indica, nutrition, stenopermocarpic fruit, yield
Groups involved
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