Terminal branch density and fruit production in the canopy of high-yield mango orchards

Abstract

Mango tree growth habit depends on cultivar, thus branch density also varies as sparse, medium and dense, but environmental conditions and pruning present particular importance since light penetration influence vegetative growth, flower initiation, fruit set, and, consequently, fruit yield. Mango canopy ac-cess to sun light has direct correlation with production branches. Thus, an experiment was carried out to evaluate the terminal branches density and fruit production in the plant canopy of high yield mango cv. ‘Tommy Atkins’ orchards in Brazilian semiarid. The experimental design consisted of randomized blocks with treatments defined as three parts of the canopy (upper, middle or lower) and two plant sides (East and West), with eighteen replications and ten plants in each parcel. The following variables were evaluated: i) terminal branches density (number of terminal branches m-2); ii) fruit density (number of fruits m-2 of the canopy); and iii) number of fruits per terminal branch. Mango plants mechanically pruned in trapezoidal form the number of terminal branches, branch density, fruit density and the number of fruits per branch depend on plant side (East and West) and plant position in the canopy; terminal branches and fruit production is concentrated in the West side of the plant and in the lower part of the canopy; in a high yield mango orchard pruned in trapezoidal form, the number of fruits per terminal branch is 1.15.