Pruning time and fungicide spray affect inflorescence malformation in mango cv. Samar Bahisht Chaunsa

Abstract

Mango being one of the most important fruit crops in Pakistan is facing a serious issue of malformation. If it is not treated, it renders great economical losses. Samar Bahisht Chaunsa is an excellent quality exportable cultivar of mango, but it is also the most vulnerable to inflorescence malformation. Therefore, the present study was carried out to address the malformation issue in mango cv. Samar Bahisht Chaunsa during 2016-18. The treatments comprised of pruning during March, pruning during April, pruning during March along with spray of Topsin-M @ 2 g L-1, pruning during April along with spray of Topsin-M @ 2 g L-1 and leaving plants un-pruned without spray as control. The tree branches were pruned up to 20 cm beneath the malformed inflorescences. Data on number of days taken to initiate growth, number of emerged flushes, number of bloomed flushes and number of malformed inflorescences were recorded. Pruning during March in combination with 2 g L-1 Topsin-M spray significantly affected all the parameters. The minimum number of days (37) taken for growth initiation, the highest number of emerged flushes (3.5) as well as bloomed flushes (3.2) along with the least number of malformed inflorescences (1.4) were recorded for the aforementioned treatment. Un-pruned and non-sprayed branches (control) did not initiate growth.