GROWTH PERFORMANCE OF TWO MANGO (Mangifera indica L.) CULTIVARS IN HIGH CALCAREOUS SANDY SOIL

Zagzog, Osama; Melouk, Abd El Hamid; Metwally, Shawky

doi:10.21608/jpd.2010.43928

GROWTH PERFORMANCE OF TWO MANGO (Mangifera indica L.) CULTIVARS IN HIGH CALCAREOUS SANDY SOIL

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ Plant Production Department, Institute of Efficient Productivity, Zagazig Univ., Egypt.

² Horticulture Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Suez Canal University, Egypt.

³ Soil & Water Department, Institute of Efficient Productivity, Zagazig University, Egypt.

10.21608/jpd.2010.43928

Abstract

Two factorial experiments (2 X 5) were conducted at greenhouse of the Experimental Farm of Ismailia Agriculture Faculty, Suez Canal Univ. Egypt during 2007 and 2008 seasons to assess the growth performance and nutrients uptake efficiency of 13-mounth-old seedlings of two common mango cvs (Zebda and Succary) grown in a sandy soil under four levels of CaCO₃ (10, 15, 20 and 25%), beside the native content of 0.29% as control.
Differential ability of the two tested mango cvs to tolerate lime was detected since, Succary cv exhibited high sensitivity compared to Zebda cv. Presence of limeup to 10% significantly depressed plant height, leaves number/plant, average leaf area and total leaf area/plant, as well as leaves, stems, roots and total dry weights/ plant of the two cultivars. Depression in vegetative growth parameters and dry weights with upraising soil lime content was more pronounced in Succary cv than Zebda cultivar.
Zebda cv had the highest uptake efficiency of K and Ca as shown by their concentrations in leaf tissues. While, foliar concentrations of N and Zn appeared an opposite trend. There is an insignificant differences between the two cvs in foliar P and Fe concentrations.
Regardless of mango cv, high soil lime content drastically reduced foliar nutrients concentrations except Calcium. It seems that cv Zebda is the most adaptable to overcome severity conditions of highly calcareous soil, thus it can be recommended as a lime-tolerant mango rootstock. More, long-term intensive physiological and genetic studies are needed to confirm this result, and to test wide range of mango cultivars under large scale of field conditions.
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