Influence of pruning intensities on leaf nutrient composition in some mango cultivars planted under high density

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted on mango cultivars (Amrapali, Mallika and Dashehari) planted under high density to study the changes in the nutrient composition in leaves after pruning. The maximum nitrogen percentage was found in Amrapali in ‘on’ year while Dashehari recorded the lowest. Similarly, the highest phosphorus, calcium and sulphur was estimated in leaves of Mallika, whereas Amrapali had the lowest phosphorus, calcium and magnesium content. The significant difference was also observed for N, P (‘on’ year), Ca, Mg and S due to different pruning levels. The highest N and Ca content were observed in control (un-pruned) trees, which had the lowest levels of Mg and S. The light pruning improved the level of phosphorus but reduced the nitrogen concentration. Severe pruning led to lowest P and Mg content with better S content. The interaction effect due to cultivar and pruning intensity was found to be significant for nutrient like N, C and M. The pruning intensity did not have any significant effect on potassium content. Consequently, major nutrients (primary and secondary) reduced during flowering, while during ‘on’ year the N, P and Ca levels increased. In contrast, Mg and S were observed to be higher during vegetative phase.