SOME POLLINATION PROBLEMS IN MANGO

When one sees a mango tree, especially when the dense sprays of inflorescence cover the tree in profusion, one may not appreciate the existence of manifold problems between flowering and the final yield. Despite profuse flowering, the fruits carried to maturity are comparatively meagre and it is not unusual to find many inflorescences completely devoid of fruits. A study into the problems of poor cropping has, therefore, to take note of several important aspects of pollination which affect fruit set. The present paper reports the observations on some of these factors such as pollen production per anther, defective perfect flowers, growth of ovary in unpollinated flower, selective pollination, and initial fruit-set and ultimate retention in some of the most popular commercial varieties of mango.