Special Horticultural Practices for Early Induction of Flowering in Mango (Mangifera indica L.) cv. Ratna

The investigation was conducted at the College of Horticulture, Dapoli, Dist. Ratnagiri, Maharashtra during the year 2020-21 to assess the special horticultural practices on induction of flowering in mango (Mangifera indica L.) cv. Ratna. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Block Design with three replications and ten treatments viz; girdling on the first fortnight of October (T1), girdling on the first fortnight of November (T2), girdling on the first fortnight of October and November (T3), girdling on first fortnight of October and tip pruning (T4), girdling on the first fortnight of November and tip pruning (T5), girdling on the first fortnight of October and November and tip pruning (T6), tip pruning (T7), removal of new shoots below old shoot (T8), smudging (T9) and control (T10). Removal of new shoots (T7) resulted in early panicle emergence as compared to control. Treatment girdling on the first fortnight of November and tip pruning (T5) exhibited the highest flowering intensity and hermaphrodite flower per panicle. It also maximum fruit set and fruit retention per panicle.