Division of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Hessaraghatta Lake P.O., Bangalore 560 089
*Corresponding author's E-mail: gsrm@iihr.res.in; kku@iihr.res.in
Both regular and irregular bearing mango cultivars showed extremely poor and delayed flowering in 1998 under Bangalore conditions. The cvs. Totapuri and Alphonso had put forth predominantly vegetative growth in the second half of March 1998 with negligible flowering. The estimated period of peak flower bud differentiation under Bangalore conditions is likely to be from November to early December. The night temperature in Bangalore during first week of December, 1997 (17°C) was far above the averages of the previous three years, 1994–97 (10°C). Similar trends were observed with respect to mean and mean maximum temperatures, but at a lower magnitude. As temperatures of 18/10°C (close to an average of 15°C) are considered optimum for flower induction, the higher temperatures, especially night temperatures (>17°C) prevailing during the flower induction period in October to December seems to have a detrimental effect on it. Even cool temperature induced a vegetative flush instead of inflorescence, when growth of the bud does not take place during this period. It is predominantly the effect of high temperature, especially night temperature, which prevailed during October to December during flower induction and differentiation periods, possibly accentuated by slightly higher rainfall in October-December, that culminated in poor flowering in mango.
Flowering behaviour, mango, weather influence
