University College of Agriculture, University of Calcutta, 35, Ballygunge Circular Road, Calcutta-700 019.
*Present address: Horticulturist, Regional Research Institute, O. U. A. T., Chiplima-768019, Sambalpur, Orissa.
It is observed that there is considerable variation in the average yield of individual plants in the same orchard and between different orchards of the same variety. The efficiency varies from 22 to 75 per cent and average yield per plant of an orchard varies from 45 to 729 fruits irrespective of variety. The variation in yield in the selected plants have given significant correlations with leaf nitrogen and phosphorus content, infection of anthranose, mango hopper, and shoot gall psylla and variation in feeder root density. Anthracnose and mango hopper are very serious, and shoot gall psylla was next in order. The study indicates that the variation in yield between plants of different orchards and of the same orchard is correlated with factors like nitrogen and phosphorus content in leaves, and disease and pest infection. The hypothesis has to be confirmed by actual experiments with application of fertilizers, fungicides and pesticides, which will lead to definite recommendation to the extension horticuliurists for improvement in efficiency and production of mango orchards.
