Some of my Himsagar fruits develop cracks and a lot drop when small. The weather alternated between dry spells and sudden rain. What causes this and how do I reduce it?
2 Answers
Fruit cracking is usually linked to irregular moisture, dry stress followed by sudden heavy irrigation or rain that makes the pulp swell faster than the skin, often worsened by boron and calcium deficiency. Heavy young-fruit drop in mango is partly natural self-thinning, but excessive drop is driven by moisture stress, poor nutrition, hopper and disease, and hot dry winds. To reduce both: keep soil moisture even with drip and mulching rather than big infrequent floods; correct boron and calcium based on soil test through recommended foliar sprays during fruit development; maintain hopper and anthracnose control so the tree is healthy; and avoid sudden heavy watering after a dry spell. A recommended growth-regulator spray such as NAA at fruit set is sometimes advised to cut drop, but use only at the correct low dose under KVK guidance. Even moisture is the single biggest help for cracking.
Mulching and steady drip stopped most of my cracking. Earlier I would let it go dry then flood, that was the cause.