ROOT RESTRICTION EFFECTS ON CANOPY SIZE, FRUIT YIELD AND FRUIT SIZE OF MANGOSTEEN
Mangosteen is a tropical fruit tree with large canopy size and is normally grown at wide spacing in the orchard.
However, this planting system may not be the optimum for mangosteen production.
Hence, a concept of high-density planting for orchard practice is introduced in the cultivation of mangosteen.
Under closer planting system, tree form has to be modified.
Therefore, the application of root restriction by artificial barrier to control canopy size was investigated.
A field-trial of root restriction in saddle-grafted mangosteen trees was established at the Prince of Songkhla University, southern Thailand in 2001. The experiment was arranged as a randomized complete block design with 3 treatments of root restriction (by digging soil for planting at 40x40x40 cm3, 50x50x50 cm3 and 60x60x60 cm3, respectively, lining with nylon net of 32 mesh), compared with the control treatment (unrestricted). All treatments were done in 6 replicates.
In 2006, the trees in all treatments started fruit-bearing; then canopy size, fruit yield and fruit size were assessed.
Root restriction provided an effective control of canopy size and canopy size decreased with an increase of root restriction.
It was also found that root restriction caused detrimental effects on fruit yield and fruit size.
Sdoodee, S. and Phunkied, P. (2008). ROOT RESTRICTION EFFECTS ON CANOPY SIZE, FRUIT YIELD AND FRUIT SIZE OF MANGOSTEEN . Acta Hortic. 787, 259-264
DOI: 10.17660/ActaHortic.2008.787.28
https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2008.787.28
DOI: 10.17660/ActaHortic.2008.787.28
https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2008.787.28
canopy, flowering, fruit, mangosteen, root restriction
English