The effect of different mango training systems on light transmission within the canopy

Abstract

Mango is a vigorous evergreen subtropical tree that is traditionally grown at a low planting density. The tree’s naturally vigorous dense canopy requires excessive pruning to maintain tree size and allow sunlight into the canopy. Excessive pruning is expensive and often reduces flowering and productivity. Improving economic production of mango through higher density planting of smaller trees has been studied for 9 years in a field experiment with four combinations of planting densities and tree training systems: low and high density untrained multi leader (conventional) (LDC, HDC respectively), medium density single leader (MDSL), and high-density espalier (HDE), each in combination with three varieties − ‘Calypso’, ‘Keitt’ and ‘NMBP–1243’. At the branch level, light transmission in each training systems was studied by partitioning branches into four quadrants from trunk to canopy edge. In each quadrant the number of leaves, terminal panicles, the number and weight of fruit and light transmission monitored over 2 years. In the HDE and MDSL trees, light transmission in the inner canopy was significantly higher than in HDC and LDC trees, and the number of terminal flowers and fruit were also higher. HDE trees had a greater number of leaves in the inner canopy. In both years, MDSL trees had significantly higher mean light transmission than all other treatments at each time of day. No significant difference was found in fruit weight at the measured branch level. © 2023 International Society for Horticultural Science. All rights reserved.