Floral biology of three mango clones in relation to their pollination efficiency

J. Indu Bala

Abstract

A series of experiments was initiated to delineate aspects of floral biology of three mango clones in relation to their pollination efficiency. Experimental results reveal that about 809i of flowers in all clones opened by 8.00 a.m. On the first day of anthesis. stigmas were at their peak receptive condition. and at noon on the same day. the anthers dehisced and shed pollens; indicating an overlapping of staminate and pistillate phases in these clones. Pollen obtained from all the three clones were highly viable (81-87%). Anthesis of hermaphrodite flowers was concentrated at the earlier phase (first week) of flowering of the inflorescence.M ale flowers continued to open in large numbers almost throughout the flowering period suggesting that there is an abundant supply of pollen. The lower number of hermaphrodite flowers compared to the males in an inflorescence could be counteracted by the fact that stigma receptivity of the hermaphrodite flowers persist up to 4 days after anthesis.

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