Growing Better Mangoes
Improve Fruit Quality
Mango Malformation, Black Tip and other Physiological disorders of citrus are caused by poor cell division when the fruit is developing. If cells do not develop properly when the fruit is young (pea to marble size growth stages), physiological problems appear when the fruit increases in size. As the fruit grows the cells ‘stretch’ and the problems become visible. Cell division is particularly poor if temperature is high during flowering and early fruit development. During hot temperatures the crops ability to synthesise growth hormones declines disproportionately to give a slow-down in development, and often a quality reduction.
Foliar calcium sprays can help as they increase cell wall thickness allowing the fruit to reach a larger size before the problem becomes visible. However the best approach is to combine calcium application with a growth stimulant to increase cell division. InCa can be used for this purpose, and will reduce malformation, to improve quality and appearance on all varieties of mango.
Improve Nutrient Uptake
Mango trees are very susceptible to the effects of transient nutrient deficiency. This deficiency occurs when root systems cannot meet the nutrient demands of the crop for short periods. When root systems cannot keep up with demand for nutrients the tree uses reserves in the trunk and woody tissue. When reserves in the trunk are low (following a heavy crop the previous season) the plant struggles to maintain growth during stress conditions. Also at crucial times in the phenology of the tree such as flowering, there are peaks in demand for nutrients if reserves are low it is difficult for the crop to hold sufficient flowers. It is therefore vitally important to use a high quality foliar feed while the crop is fruiting if maximum yield and quality is to be achieved.
Grow less shoots and more fruit
To produce the best yield mangos only need to produce one full growth flush per year. Usually however mangos tend to produce more shoot flushes than are desirable for best production. This is especially the case if water is abundant, N levels are high, and abnormally high temperatures are prevalent.
When High temperature, high soil moisture and high N levels in the soil or in tree tissues occur during dormancy, the tree can flush again and again. This will adversely affect the physiology of trees by depleting its food reserves and will lead to a further vegetative bias. Trees under such conditions produce poor crops during the following fruiting season. This happens more often when varieties used to rest under low temperature climates are planted under high temperature environments. Therefore controlling shoot flushes can positively impact on the trees productivity.
Speedo Balance can be used whenever conditions favour excessive vegetative shoot growth; it encourages movement of ‘food’ from the leaves to the storage tissue. This will both reduce excess shoot growth, and bolster the crops reserves ready for the reproductive growth phase following dormancy.
Maintain Healthy foliage
When flushes occur, the demand in the shoots for nitrogen and other nutrients is unusually high. Research shows that soil application of Nitrogen is not an effective way of supplying nitrogen during leaf flushes – the roots simply cannot keep up with demand during these periods. If left uncorrected the plant will deplete reserves of N and Ca from the trunk and roots, which would otherwise be utilised later in the season by the fruit. This affects both quality and yield of fruit.
PiNT Calcium is an efficient way to supply Nitrogen during each leaf flush. This will reduce the total Nitrogen input and improve yield. Furthermore the unique CRN nitrogen actively improves disease resistance, and the high calcium content improves quality and shelf life.
Reduce Biennial Bearing
When fruit is developing the quality is adversely affected if conditions lead to rapid shoot growth. This rapid shoot development acts as a sink for food, and ‘robs’ the fruit of food leading to uneven sizing, and fruit abortion. Speedo Saxon encourages the sugars made in the leaves to move to the fruit, and boosts root growth which discourages shoot proliferation. In mango this strategy can reduce biennial bearing, which is caused by a combination of agronomic (inefficient N use, growth flushes), environmental (stress) and nutritional factors (local boron deficiency during flower development). This approach can also reduce the problem of cluster disorders during flower development.
Improve growth during hot and cold temperatures
Normal balance can be restored by application of InCa to give improved growth and quality during temperature extremes.
Extend Shelf Life
Shelf life of fruit is controlled by ethylene, which encourages the breakdown of compounds that bind together the cells in the fruit, and weakens cell walls. When fruit is picked with green peel and treated with ethylene post harvest to improve colour, diseases such as anthracnose and stem end rot increase. This is due to the ethylene treatment weakening cell walls in the fruit.
It is during the growing season that the crops capacity for post harvest quality is determined. By loading the fruits cells with calcium using InCa, or PiNT Calcium the cells in the fruit become less susceptible to ethylene induced cell wall degradation following harvest – thus increasing shelf-life and improving other quality aspects. This treatment will reduce post harvest diseases such as Stem end rot and anthracnose.
Reverse Decline
If plants are growing on salty or high sodium soils, or trees are subject to soil-bourn disease such as Phytophera then it is likely that the crop is experiencing root decline. Certain varieties are more susceptible to this, and if the crop is on a calcareous soil decline is even more likely. The root system can be reinvigorated using PiNT Calcium, which will improve root growth and health, and suppress sodium uptake. Will also reduce root rots e.g. Phytophera.
Rates and Recommendations for Mango
PiNT Calcium
Soil Application rate: up-to 300lts per ha per season split into applications of 25-50lts. Minimum 1-10 dilution in water. PiNT Calcium is suitable for drip irrigation.
Foliar Application rate: 5-10 lts/ha, or 1% spray solution and spray till run-off, avoid spraying during direct sunlight.
Timing: For General use 30 day intervals from flowering, until harvest. For foliar use apply following each leaf flush.
Root disorders - soil apply 25-50 lts as early in the season as possible. Impact Calcium can be applied during dormant period.
PiNT Potassium
Soil Application rate: up-to 100lts per ha per season split into applications of 25-50lts.
Foliar Application rate: 5-10 lts/ha, or 1% spray solution and spray till run-off.
Timing – 30 day intervals from small fruit until 1 month prior to harvest.
Speedo Balance
Application rate: Foliar spray 3lts / ha.
Timing: Apply when plants are growing aggressively. Repeat after 14 days if necessary.
InCa
Application rate: 1 lt per ha either as a foliar spray (minimum 100 lts water spray volume), or through drip irrigation system.
Heat or cold stress: 20 day intervals during periods of high or low temperature.
Fruit quality: Foliar spray between pea and marble stage to reduce malformation, and black tip.
Speedo Saxon
Application rate: Foliar spray 2 lts per ha (minimum 100lt water spray volume).
Timing: Apply at flowering, and repeat after 1 month to hold and bulk more fruit.
