FR 153
Seasonal distribution of quantities of phosphorus in different
component organs of mango (Mangifera indica L) CV Langra*
S ESWARA REDDY 1 , B NARASIMHAM 2 and AM MAJMUDAR 3
Gujarat Agricultural University, Anand Campus, Anand-388 110, India
Key words: phosphorus, proportion, mango, whole tree, !eaves, bark, wood, roots
Abstract. Quantities of phosphorus present in different component parts of mango trees
were estimated from July 1977 to June 1978 at the Horticultural Farm of the Gujarat
Agricultural University, India. Because of high variation in the dry weight of the trees it
was not possible to assess annual requirement of P by the trees. Hence a measure of
comparability between P present in different months was sought to be established by
expressing the quantity of P in a part of the tree as percentage of that in the whole tree.
In assessing the effect of the nutrient status of a tree on performance, knowledge
of the quantities of nutrient elements present in different parts of the
tree ,during different stages of the annual or biennial cycle of growth and
development would be essential. Such information might also provide opportunities
to assess rates of uptake and trends of internal mobilization and
periods and quantities of net excretion. This information can be obtained only
by a destructive analysis of whole trees harvested at suitable intervals [3].
Fruit trees being perennial do not lend themselves easily to such destructive
analysis of whole trees which explains the paucity of work on this aspect
in literature.
Little work has been done on phosphorus, though it is a major nutrient.
The present study intends to throw some light on the quantitative distribution
of phosphorus in mango, the most popular fruit in India.
Materials and methods
The study was conducted at the Horticultural Farm of the B A College of
Agriculture, Gujarat Agricultural University, Anand Campus, Anand. The
design of the experiment was Randomised Block Design with 3 blocks and 12
months as treatments and one tree representing each plot.
*Part of doctoral thesis by the first author.
1Present address: Junior Scientist, Department of Horticulture, S.V. Agricultural
College, Tirupati -517502, India.
2 Retd. Scientist, 82-C Yadava Street, Tirpuati 517 501, India.
3 Principal, B.A. College of Agriculture, Anad-388 110, India.
151
Fertilizer Research 4." 151 -154 (1983) 0167-1731/83/0042-0151/$00.80
© 1983 Martinus Nifhoff/Dr W. Junk Publishers, The Hague. Printed in The Netherlands