Effect of various doses of paclobutrazol on incidence of mango malformation

Abstract

Mango (Mangifera indica L.), the world’s most luscious fruit has been recognized as the ‘king of fruits’ in India long back. India ranks first in area and production of mango in the world (Shikamany and Sudha, 5). Mango malformation is of two types vegetative and floral, the former being more common on the nursery seedlings and young plants and the later, on trees at the bearing stage. It is the floral malformation which directly affects the productivity. The disease is characterized in the growing plants by production of multiple shoots with rudimentary leaves from either at leaf and or at the base of the shoot, which gives an impression of bunchy top. These symptoms are very usually seen in vegetative malformation. In floral malformation because of short internodes length and thickened peduncle, the malformed peduncles give the appearance of compact mass of flowers which are mostly male (Majumder and Sinha, 3). The peduncles keep hanging on tree for many more months without any fruit set.