Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Table 2.3.
Guidelines for survival, commercial and best production of tropical fruit
based upon mean minimum temperature in the coldest month (after Watson and
Moncur, 1985).
Mean minimum temperature (°C)
for coolest month
Crop
Botanical name
Survival
Commercial
Best
Acerola
10-12
>12
>14
Malpighia glabra
Banana
6-8
>8
>16
Musa
spp.
Breadfruit
14-16
>16
>16
Artocarpus altilis
Carambola
6-8
>8
>14
Averrhoa carambola
Chempedak
12-14
>14
>16
Artocarpus polyphema
Cherimoya
4-6?
5-12?
6-10?
Annona cherimoya
Durian
14-16
>18
>18
Durio zibethinus
Duku and langsat
12-14
>14
>18
Lansium
domesticum
Guava
4-8
>8
>14
Psidium guajava
Jackfruit
6-10
>10
>14
Artocarpus heterophyllus
Longan
4-8
8-18
8-14
Dimocarpus longan
Litchi
4-8
>14
>16
Litchi chinensis
Mango
6-8
>8
>12
Mangifera indica
Mangosteen
10-14
>14
>16
Garcinia mangostana
Papaya
6-8
>8
>14
Carica papaya
Pineapple
6-8
>8
>10
Ananas comosus
Rambutan
8-12
>12
>14
Nephelium lappaceum
Sapodilla
6-10
>10
>14
Manilkara zapota
Soursop
6-10
>10
>16
Annona muricata
Vegetative and fl owering behaviour of litchi is very similar to mango,
except that it is adapted to even lower minimum temperatures than mango.
The total duration of relatively low temperatures seems to be the determining
factor rather than the frequency or time of occurrence during a critical
period. There are considerable cultivar dif erences in the temperature exposure
necessary to induce fl owers, e.g. 'Brewster' litchi fl owers better in seasons with
200 or more h of temperature below 7.2°C. Other cultivars fl ower profusely
when night temperatures of 14-15°C occur.
The three races of avocado originated under dif erent ecological
conditions. The West Indian race is best adapted to humid, warm climates,
with the optimum around 25-28°C. It is susceptible to frost, and the mini-
mum temperature tolerated by the foliage is recorded at 1.5°C. Mature trees
of the Mexican race have shown tolerance to as low as
−
4 to
−
5°C without
damage to foliage, although fl owers are damaged. The Guatemalan race is
adapted to a cool tropical climate but is less tolerant of low temperatures than
cultivars of the Mexican race. The leaves of the Guatemalan cultivars have
