Raising healthy seedling rootstocks of mango

Abstract

The mango orchards of Pakistan are declining continuously in their productivity due to the soil-borne fungal disease “sudden death” and the entophytic fungal disease “mango malformation”. The possible cause of the diseases can be spread from the infected nursery. This can be better managed by producing containerized mango stock, as traditional field plantation is possibly the vector of these diseases. An experiment was undertaken to evaluate five potting mixes using local ingredients for their suability to grow mango seedlings. The experiment was conducted in an insect-proof shadehouse at Sindh Agriculture University, Tandojam, Pakistan, in 2013. Mango seed was planted in five potting mixes: M1, press mud (60%) + bagasse (40%); M2, press mud (40%) + silt (60%); M3, press mud (60%) + bagasse (20%) + coconut fibre (20%); M4, press mud (30%) + silt (30%) + bagasse (20%) + coconut fibre (20%); and M5, press mud (50%) + bagasse (20%) + coconut fibre (30%). Each potting mix and irrigation water was tested for electrical conductivity (EC), pH and chlorine. Seed sprouting was observed at 100% from each potting mix except M1 and M2. M4 was observed the best potting mix for growth-related attributes, and data were recorded after 2 and 4 months of plantation with maximum plant height (19.6 and 31.3 cm), stem diameter (4.4 and 7.2 mm) and number of leaves (6.3 and 21.3). However, necrosis and mortality of seedlings were observed after 4 months of plantation, and this mortality was observed because of increasing levels of EC in potting mixes.