‘ESMERALDA’ INTERSTOCKS REDUCE ‘ATAULFO’ MANGO TREE SIZE WITH NO REDUCTION IN YIELD: RESULTS OF THE FIRST FIVE YEARS

The goal of this study was to develop an economical and long-term strategy to control tree size of ‘Ataulfo’ mango using the low vigor ‘Esmeralda’ interstocks.
Five years after orchard establishment, trunk transversal area was reduced with all interstock lengths used (21 to 30 cm, 31 to 40 cm, or 41 to 50 cm long interstock). Control trees consisted of ‘Ataulfo’ grafted directly onto ‘Creole’ rootstock.
The greater interstock lengths caused a larger reduction in canopy volume (compare : control = 24.4 m³ vs. 31- 40 cm interstock = 16.4 m³). No significant differences were detected for either annual or cumulative yield.
The traditional planting distance for mango trees in the state of Nayarit is 10 × 10 m (100 trees/ha). Using the combination ‘Ataulfo’/’Emeralda’/‘Creole’ seedling rootstock it may be possible to have 400 trees/ha and a cumulative 3-yr yield of 39 ton/ha, compared to 11 ton for traditional orchards.
This strategy of tree size control facilitates orchard management practices and increases the rate of investment return.

VI International Symposium on Mango

V. Vazquez-Valdivia, S. Salazar-Garcia, M.H. Perez-Barraza

Mangifera indica, rootstocks, yield efficiency

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2000.509.32