MANGO - Tropical Fruits - page 255

for fl owering and fruit set, rather than total rainfall. A dry period is necessary
for reliable mango production, as it promotes fl ower induction and improves
fl owering intensity and synchrony, especially if the dry period coincides with
cool weather (Fig.10.2). In tropical high-rainfall areas, fl owering is more
erratic and yields are low, with excessive vegetative growth. Flowers are very
susceptible to the disease anthracnose, particularly when rainfall occurs
during fl owering, and low rainfall is preferred at this stage. Irrigation must be
applied regularly to prevent water stress during early fruit development when
cell division occurs and to produce a vegetative fl ush after fruit harvest.
Temperature
Mango can be grown to 1200 m in the tropics, although the best production
occurs at less than 800 m. A temperature around 33°C seems to be the ideal
for fl owering and fruit maturation and between 25 and 27° for vegetative
growth (Galán Saúco, 2009). The tree can endure up to 48°C during fruit
development if sui cient irrigation is available, though at 40°C some leaf
damage can occur. Pollen viability declines if it develops at higher than 35°C
or below 15°C (Fig. 10.3). The lower limit for vegetative growth is 15°C
(Whiley et al. , 1988), with the damage minimum being 1-2°C, and the tree
has no ability to acclimatize. Frost can severely damage or kill young trees,
with older trees being able to endure −4°C for a few hours with limited damage
(Crane and Campbell, 1991).
Fig. 10.2. Relationship between xylem water potential in the 6 weeks prior to 'Nam
Dok Mai' panicle growth and the percentage of terminals fl owering: y = −121.83 -
286.7 x , r 2 = 0.52 (Pongsonboon, 1991, cited by Schaffer e t al. , 1994).