Reproductive physiology of mango

Abstract

Mango flowering involves hormonal regulation of shoot initiation and induction events resulting in reproductive shoot formation. A balance or ratio of endogenously regulated phytohormones, thought to be auxin from leaves and cytokinins from roots, appears to govern the initiation cycle independently from inductive influences. Induction of reproductive or vegetative shoots is thought to be governed by the ratio of a temperature-regulated florigenic promoter and an age regulated vegetative promoter at the time of shoot initiation. Management of off-season flowering in mango trees is being accomplished in the tropics by successfully synchronizing shoot initiation through tip pruning and use of nitrate sprays coupled with management of the stem age to induce flowering such that it can be accomplished during any desired week of the year. Key words: auxin, cytokinin, flowering management, fruiting, hormones, Mangifera indica Fisiologia da reprodução em manga: A floração em manga envolve regulação hormonal de iniciação dos ramos e eventos indutivos que levam à formação de ramos reprodutivos. Um equilíbrio ou uma relação entre fito-hormônios regulados endogenamente, supostamente auxinas das folhas e citocininas das raízes, parece governar o ciclo de iniciação independentemente de influências indutivas. Acredita-se que a indução de ramos vegetativos ou reprodutivos é governada pela relação entre um promotor florigênico regulado por temperatura e um promotor vegetativo associado à idade, durante a iniciação do ramo. Nos trópicos, o manejo da floração fora da estação das floradas tem sido feito com sucesso, pela sincronização da iniciação de ramos, mediante a remoção do ápice e uso de pulverizações com nitrato, em associação com manejo da idade do caule para induzir a floração, o que pode ser executado em qualquer época do ano.

Pruning to control tree size, flowering and production of litchi

“…This was the first demonstration of such a response in a recurrent flushing tree species. The same effect has since been shown for avocado, Persea americana (Olesen, 2005), macadamia, Macadamia integrifolia (Olesen, 2005;Wilkie et al, 2010), and mango, Mangifera indica (Davenport, 2007;Wilkie et al, 2008b;Ramírez and Davenport, 2010). It is likely that this response will apply to other evergreen, recurrent flushing trees (Olesen, 2005;Wilkie et al, 2008a).…”

Physiological and biochemical characterization of mango tree with paclobutrazol application via irrigation1

“…According to Davenport (2007), carbohydrate contents in leaves are involved in panicle development and in the intensity of the flowering induction. Therefore, a decrease in total soluble sugar contents, reducing sugars, total proteins and estimates of sucrose content might have occurred due to the energetic demand for inflorescence formation.…”

“…Dosage and application methods also influence the plant response to paclobutrazol (Davenport 2007, Mouco et al 2010, as some plants are capable of vegetating longer than others, and thus need higher doses. Sensitivity to paclobutrazol will also depend on climate and plant age and vigor (Alburquerque et al 2002).…”

Photomorphogenesis in Dracaena draco

“…The autonomous flowerers have either long or short life cycles so they are not fussy about environment. They flower spontaneously when mature and may need only cues from environment (Kinet 1993;Davenport 2007;Wilkie et al 2008). Dracaena draco flowers after long period of time (at least 9 years) so it is an autonomous flowerer.…”