Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Saúco
2009
): a relatively cold winter (minimum temperatures around 10-15 °C) to
induce flowering, a relatively warm spring (minimum temperatures above 15 °C)
to favour good fruit set, warm summer and autumn seasons to get good fruit de-
velopment and good vegetative growth after harvesting and a climate with small
differences between night and day temperatures.
The incidence of frost is a limiting factor for mango cultivation. Young man-
go trees can die when exposed for several hours to temperatures below − 4 °C
with death of adult trees occurring at − 6 °C and young shoots being burnt at
temperatures below 0 °C (Campbell et al.
1977
). Leaf chlorosis may occur both
at temperatures below 10 °C or above 40 °C. However the mango tree can tol-
erate temperatures above 48-50 °C during the fruit development and ripening
phases provided adequate irrigation is given (Donadio
1980
; Majunder and
Sharma
1985
). This indicates the potential of mango to survive stressful condi-
tions since most plants die when exposed to temperatures between 40 and 44 °C
(Salisbury and Ross
1985
).
Temperatures below 15.6 °C during flowering may give rise to poor pollen tube
growth and embryo abortion (Young and Sauls
1979
). Temperatures lower than
10 °C may impair pollen development because of the sensibility of the microspores
originating during the meiosis process occurring inside the anthers (Robbertse et al.
1998
). Lower temperatures (7-10 °C) can also increase the typical problem of poor
ovary formation occurring in mango, where under normal conditions only 5-10 %
of the hermaphroditic flowers are viable (Singh
1960
). Despite the beneficial effect
of low temperatures to induce flowering, when these temperatures fall close to 5 °C
the ratio male/hermaphrodite flowers may increase (Chaikiattiyos et al.
1997
).
Most authors indicate a minimum of 700 mm (annual rainfall or irrigation) as
appropriate for mango cultivation, but the distribution of water is considered more
important than the total amount of rainfall. In the absence of cold winter tempera-
tures the mango needs a dry season to induce flowering in the tropics. The presence
of rainfall during flowering, fruit set and harvesting can be detrimental for mango,
since it can reduce pollination as well as favour the incidence of several fungal dis-
eases (De Laroussilhe
1980
), particularly anthracnose (Malo
1972
). Mango is well
adapted to wide variations in relative humidity, from 40 to 85 % (Whiley et al.
1988
)
and can withstand prolonged dry conditions, particularly due to its deep root system,
as well as the presence of laticiferous channels in the leaf that can avoid an internal
water deficit (Schaffers et al.
1994
). Mango is also well adapted to varied rainfall
conditions that can range from 250 mm, with regular irrigation during the period of
fruit development (Majunder and Sharma
1985
), until 5,000 mm (Donadio
1980
).
However as with many other tropical fruit crops, water stress at or during fruit set
or early fruit growth can result in an excessive fruit drop and reduced fruit size that
will have a negative effect on yield.
Crop Management
Until recent times mango was considered a very rustic crop with cultivation tech-
