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Pak. J. Bot., 43(2): 983-990, 2011.

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BIMONTHLY NUTRIENT APPLICATION PROGRAMME ON CALCAREOUS SOIL IMPROVES FLOWERING AND FRUIT SET IN MANGO (MANGIFERA INDICA L.)

RAHEEL ANWAR¹*, SAEED AHMAD¹, MUHAMMAD YASEEN², WAQAR AHMAD¹ AND MUHAMMAD NAFEES³

Abstract: Fertilizer management particularly for mango trees is tedious on alkaline and calcareous soil. Mango (Mangifera indica L.) cv. Langra trees were supplied fertilizer through soil application under bimonthly nutrient application programme to ensure the continuous supply of nutrition to plants throughout the year. Fertilizer (N, P and K) was supplied five times a year at regular intervals while skipping one application randomly in each treatment. Amount of fertilizer supplied was equal in all treatments i.e., 910g N, 680g P₂O₅ and 680g K₂O per tree. Complete dose of P and K and half dose of N were applied in February while rest of the half dose of N was applied in April as control. It was observed that trees supplied with nutrients in February, April, June, August and October, produced maximum number of flowers per panicle with highest percentage of perfect flowers (62.4%), maximum final fruit set (0.165%) and maximum nutrient use efficiency for nitrogen (25.57%), phosphorus (2%) and potassium (14.97%) over control. The results revealed the superiority of split application of nutrients in February, April, June, August and October over bulk application of fertilizer only in February and April (control).

¹Institute of Horticultural Sciences, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Pakistan

²Institute of Soil and Environmental Sciences, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Pakistan

³College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Pakistan

*Corresponding author E-mail: dryaseenuaf@yahoo.com