FLOWERING PROMOTERS AND STARCH AND AMINO ACIDS CONCENTRATION IN MANGO BUDS

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to study the relationship between the amounts of amino acids and starch found in the mango buds, and flowering induction. Five treatments were applied: KNO3 g×liter-1, NH4NO3 20 g×liter-1, ethrel ml×liter-1, girdling on stems, and control. Anatomic mango bud cuts were realized, from these data, they were classified into three growth stages: vegetative, flowering initiation, and inflorescence differentiation. Starch and amino acids concentrations were also measured in these buds. It was observed that the buds under nitrogen treatments had a faster transformation from the vegetative to the reproductive stage. It was not found a relationship between the starch concentration and the flowering initiation; therefore, it is quite possible that the starch found in buds is not an important factor that promotes flowering in mango trees. The analysis of amino acids in apical buds showed high level of glycine, asparagine, glutamine, alanine, serine, arginine, leucine, lysine, and treonine; while the analysis also showed that histidine, tyrosine, valine, phenylalanine, and isoleucine, were found in much lower levels. The greater amino acids concentration was found during the flowering initiation, while the lowest levels were identified in vegetative buds. These results indicate that high amino acids’ levels might be related to the mango’s flowering initiation.