The Influence of Dolomitic Lime and Muriate of Potash Application on Fruit Mineral Content and Jelly Seed Disorder Incidence of Mango (Mangifera indica L.)

Abstract

One of the factors contributing to mango (Mangifera indica L) losses in Kenya and other parts of the world is jelly seed physiological disorder. It is thought to be related to imbalances of N, K, Mg and Ca supply to the fruit. Mango production in Kenya has been on the increase due to increased demand for fruits as people are more aware of its health benefits. The objective of this study was to establish the effect of dolomitic lime and   muriate of potash (MOP) fertilization on mango jelly seed disorder and fruit tissue mineral content. MOP at a rate of  0, 1.0 and 2.0 kg/tree/year and dolomitic lime at a rate of 0 and 2 kg/tree/year were applied on ‘Tommy Atkins’ and ‘Van Dyke’ trees in 2013 and 2014. A sample of ten tree ripe fruits per treatment was scored for jelly seed incidence using hedonic scale. Another fruit sample was analyzed for K, Ca and Mg content. Dolomitic lime and MOP fertilization did not significantly influence jelly seed score however they significantly increased the fruit K, Mg and Ca content compared to control.