BANANAS AND MANGOES AT THE MARGINS - APPROACHES TO FLOWERING FOR PRODUCTIVE MANAGEMENT

Ecophysiology integrates knowledge about mechanisms at lower levels of organisation in a plant and allows us to interpret the behaviour of a plant population in the field. Questions about how a plant performs in the field are the driver for ecophysiology that then provides the scientific basis for crop management and genetic improvement. When plants that are normally found in tropical regions are grown in a sub-tropical environment, one may expect less than optimal performance. However, sufficient yield and quality of product may still be achieved to supply markets. Indeed there are advantages in removing a crop plant from its ‘natural’ environment. Here we examine briefly the contribution of knowledge about flowering in mango to the development of cultural practices that allow its production to be manipulated across seasons in the tropics and subtropics. This work provides a sound model for deepening our knowledge of the flowering of other tropical species as they are developed to meet future demands for nutritious food. To demonstrate the need for undertaking research on reproduction of tropical crops, we use data from the published literature to show that flowering in banana, a widely grown, but poorly understood species, is influenced by photoperiod and that there appears to be genetic variation of this character within Musa spp. We estimate that without this sensitivity bananas and plantains would produce bunches 2 to 4 months sooner than they do now. This may open new opportunities for moderating the seasonal fluctuations in production associated with this fruit. It is increasingly important to develop a deep knowledge of crop development and physiology to support crop management and improvement.