Growth and yield potential of seed plants with an additional root system of mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana L.)

Abstract

Low expansion of mangosteen crop is mainly responsible for its inherent slow growth habit associated with long juvenile phase of 8-10 years. To overcome such constraint and thereby enhance productivity, introduction of an additional root system for seed plants of mangosteen by the technique of inarching was attempted. This paper describes the results of an experiment carried out in a randomized complete block design at the Fruit Research and Development Institute, Horana, Sri Lanka during 2006-2013 to evaluate the growth and yield characteristics of seed plants with double root systems along with seed plants (as the control) of mangosteen in the second fruiting year. At fruit set, significant (p=0.05) increases in canopy volume, number of primary and secondary shoot formation; decrease in plant height increment were observed in seed plants with added root system, compared to seed plants. All seed plants with an additional root system, set fruits for the second consecutive fruiting years at the age of 6.3 years after field establishment, producing a mean yield of 56 fruits tree-1. This was in contrast to seed plants of similar age in which no fruits have formed. Thus, technology of seed plants with an added root system reduced the time taken for fruiting and enhanced productivity by promoting its canopy development.