MULTAN: Horticulturists have urged the mango growers to avoid water and fertilizers application as mango plants pass through dormancy period following drop in temperature with the commencement of winter season.
"Though plants go into dormancy when temperature drops to 7 degrees celsius or below but a majority of them will be in sleep at 10-11 degrees celsius (existing temperature)," says Malik Tariq, a plant pathologist at Mango Research Institute (MRI) Multan.
"The more they sleep the better their growth prospects would be when they break dormancy with increase in temperature in spring season."
Dormancy is the condition of mango plant of any age under which it stops or slows down its growth with decrease in temperature and thus prevents premature flowering which can be killed by ensuing frost that hits the plants when temperature goes below 4 degrees celsius.
The plant pathologist, however, suggested that growers can take the risk of light irrigation to avoid greater risk i.e the plant's death by frost when temperature goes below 4 or 5 Celsius. Last year frost hit the plants after mid December, he added.
Growers can also opt for smudging i.e burning husk or old tyres to create smoke to counter the deadly impact of frost.
Growers are also advised to avoid irrigation even when their plants experience pre-flowering when they were supposed to be in dormancy. Growers usually irrigate orchards in these circumstances under misconception that it would cool down the land. The dry land cools down better than the wet land for it absorbs the temperature more effectively, he added.
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