Effect of Hormonal Treatment and Mulching on Fruit Drop and Quality in Mango

An experiment was laid out to assess the effect of hormonal treatment and mulching on fruit drop and quality in cvs. Mallika, Amrapali and Dashehari of mango at the experimental farm Bhota of IBES Neri, Hamirpur, during the years 2010-2012. Eight treatments, viz., T₁&T₂: 2, 4-D (20 and 40ppm), T₃&T₄: NAA (25 and 50ppm), T₅: 2, 4-D (20ppm) + Black polythene mulch, T₆:NAA (25ppm) + Black polythene mulch, T₇: Black polythene mulch, and T₈: Control, were applied during the last week of April at the pea stage of fruit development in the years 2011 and 2012. Observations were recorded on marked panicles at monthly intervals until harvest. All the hormonal treatments, mulching and combination thereof, showed significant reduction in fruit drop in all the three cultivars under study. Fruit retention at harvest in cvs. Amrapali, and Mallika and Dashehari was maximum (5.95, 9.5 and 8.3%, respectively) with T₅ (2, 4-D 20ppm + Black polythene mulch) which was statistically at par with T₁ (2, 4-D 20ppm), T₇ (Black polythene mulch) and T₂ (2, 4-D 40ppm). Effect of treatments on TSS content was non-significant. Highest TSS content (14.5°B) was noted in cv. Dashehari which was significantly higher than in Mallika (11.7°B) or Amrapali (11.4°B). Titratable acidity was significantly low in all the treatments than that in untreated plants. Highest acidity (0.53%) was recorded in Control. 'Dashehari' recorded the highest (0.63%) acidity, followed by Mallika (0.49%) and Amrapali (0.46%).