Crop management:Mango

1.1. Fertiliser Requirements

A general criterion regarding mango nutrition is that care must be taken not to over-fertilize thereby promoting vegetative vigour at the expense of flowering and fruit set. This is particularly true for nitrogen application since trees are subject to fertilizer burn. The table below shows the recommended nutrients per one mango tree and fertilizer per one mango tree per year. Well-decomposed organic manures are recommended at the time of planting.

Table. Nutrients recommendation per one mango tree (g/year)

Year	N	P	K
1	70	25	200
2 to 3	140	50	200
4 to 5	210	75	250
6 to 7	280	100	375
8 to 9	350	125	500
10 or more	420	150	625

Table. Fertilizer recommendation per one mango tree (g/year)

Year	NPK (17-17-17)	Urea (46-0-0)	KCl (0-0-60)
1	147	98	292
2 to 3	294	196	250
4 to 5	441	293	292
6 to 7	588	391	458
8 to 9	735	489	625
10 or more	882	587	792

Micronutrients B, Cu, Fe, Mn, Mo and Zn are essential for mango plants. Boron deficiency results from excessive leaching, overliming and excessively dry weather.

Tabel. Recommended concentrations for foliar sprays

Deficient nutrient	Treatment
B	Solubor at 300 g/100 l water
Cu	Copper oxychloride at 200 g/100 l water
Fe	chelate/sulphate applied
Mn	MnSo4 at 200 g/100 l water
Zn	ZnO at 200 g/100 l or NZN at 150 ml/100 l water

1.2. Pruning

Mango plants should develop into strong well-shaped trees within the first 4 years and do not require pruning unless there are excessive branches or the shape is unusual. Depending on the cultivarvariety, type and growth pattern, selective pruning of branches may be required to encourage growth of lateral branches and to ensure development of good tree architecture for future fruit bearing. Being an evergreen tree, bearing flowers on past seasons shoots terminally, regular pruning is not advisable in mango. Any branches on the trunk the main stem of a tree lower than one metre from the ground should be cut. In later years, pruning is done mainly to remove diseased and/or dry branches or those touching the ground or crowding others.

A large number of trees become unproductive in due course because of dense and overcrowded canopies, which reduce light interception and utilization by the photosynthetic surfaces. Favourable effects of different intensities of pruning in mango on light interception, chlorophyll content in leaves and yield have been reported.

 1. 3. Irrigation

The tree itself is not difficult to grow and, once well established, is relatively tolerant of drought, occasional flooding and poor soil condition. Irrigation in the first years after planting promotes flushing (and suppresses flowering), so that tree size increases quickly. Irrigation at a frequency of 4-5 days is sufficient for this purpose, the frequency being dependent upon the soil moisture condition. Irrigation also widens the scope for intercroppingthe growing of two crops simultaneously in the same field, for example with pineapple or vegetables, during the establishment phase.

About 2-3 months prior to flowering, irrigation should be withheld, otherwise decrease in flowering and promotion of vegetative growth will be resulted.

However, it is proved that watering at an interval of 10-15 days during fruit setting and development period is advantageous to reduce fruit drop and to increase fruit retention, size and to get better quality.

1.4. Intercropping and weeding

There exists no hard and fast rule in selecting intercrops suitable for mango orchard. Any short duration crop relevant to the specific location can be selected. Some of intercrops suitable include vegetables, pineapples, strawberry, etc. Whatever the crop selected, intercrop and main crop must receive separately their independent requirements of fertilizer and irrigation. Intercropping results in increased humidity and vegetation in orchards that may promote infestation of pests and diseases in greater intensity than under clean cultivation. Therefore, regular plant protection measures are to be carried out as a need base practice.
Keeping the mango orchard clean form weeds is a general rule to get better establishment. At least one shallow cultivation at 3 months interval will be sufficient for controlling weed growth. Bearing mango orchards are to be kept free from excessive weed growth either by manual weeding (or slashing) or by using some weedicides. Where mulching materials are available, mulching is encouraged.