EFFECT OF ROOT PRUNING ON LEAF EXPANSION, LEAF WATER POTENTIAL AND STOMATAL CONDUCTANCE IN MANGO

الملخص

Root pruning might contribute positively to solve the problem of low fruit bearing in mango grown under high rain and humid conditions. The current study was conducted in Institut Pengurusan Penyelidikan dan Perundingan (IPPP), University Putra Malaysia (UPM), 2005. Four levels percentages of pruning were used namely: 0%, 25%, 50% and 75% and the experiment was conducted under rain shelter in a complete randomized design with 3 replicates. Results indicated that increasing the level of pruning within 25-50 % may yield in decreasing of leaf expansion, leaf water potential as well as
stomatal conductance. Whereas 75% root pruning may resulted in a complete death of plant. This suggests that pruning within 25-50% might be suitable for restriction of mango growth while enhancing the yield, since the mild stress occurred as a result increased the source of carbohydrates to be translocated to the sink. However, investigations seem to be necessary to reach better understanding