Studies on influence of preharvest bagging of fruits on quality of mango cv. Ratna

Abstract

Flowering in mango is a very complex phenomenon. The potentiality to form flower buds depends on the florious condition of the tree that depends up on many factors like genotype, climatic factors, physiological behaviour, agro-techniques, pests and disease management etc. The present study was carried out on flowering and flushing behaviour of Baramasi, regular and biennial bearing cultivars of mango at Bihar (Eastern Indian) condition. Results indicated that Baramasi had more than four times panicle and flush emergence in a year. Time of panicle emergence was the earliest in cv. Alphonso among all the cultivars. The maximum number of panicles per branch was recorded in Langra (725.21) during its ‘on’ year. However, it was the minimum in cv. Baramasi. The maximum number of flowers per panicle was recorded in cv. Langra (1215 and 1132) during both the years of study. The longest panicle was measured in cv. Alphonso (31.72-33.99 cm) while, the shortest panicle was observed in cv. Baramasi (21.30-29.02 cm). Cultivar Alphonso took more time (35.6 and 33.2 days) for bud break to full bloom whereas; Amrapali (23.80 and 22.14 days) took fewer periods during both the years. The shortest duration of flowering was also noticed (17 days) in cv. Amrapali. Cultivar Langra had the maximum number of hermaphrodite flowers (65.0 and 66.2) as well as flowering intensity (4448 and 4143 flowers/ft2) however, it was the minimum in cv. Baramasi (23.8 and 24.4%and 2006.4 and 3235.6 flowers/ft2) during both the consecutive years. Higher incidence of malformation was found in cv. Amrapali but at the same conditions cv. Langra did not show any incidence of malformation. Variation in floral and flushing behaviour among the cultivars might be due to variation in climatic conditions and individual genetic characteristics.