Impact of Climatic Variables on Fruit Bearing Behavior and Disease Incidence in Commercial Mango Cultivars in a Semi-arid Region

Climatic conditions significantly influence the success of mango (Mangifera indica L.) cultivation, particularly in the mango-growing region of the world, where the crop is subjected to various climatic extremes. Abrupt climate changes, particularly differences in relative humidity between the river and urban areas, during the dormant and flowering stages of mango trees, have a substantial impact on floral bud induction, flower emergence, and fruit setting. A comprehensive study was conducted during the growing season 2017-2018 to assess the effects of climate variables on the flowering and fruiting behavior of six commercial mango cultivars (cvs.; i. 'Langra', ii. 'Dusehri', iii. 'Anwer Ratol', iv. 'Sindhri', v. 'Summer Bahisht Chaunsa' ['S.B. Chaunsa'], and vi. 'Safaid Chaunsa') under two distinct climatic conditions: the river belt and the urban belt in Multan city, Pakistan. The findings indicated that 'Dusehri' and 'Anwer Ratol' cvs. showed the least flowering terminal notation (78.3% and 55.0% in the river belt and urban belt, respectively), while 'Sindhri' and 'S.B. Chaunsa' cvs. displayed prominent flowering (90.0% and 85.0% in the river belt and urban belt, respectively). Moreover, 'Safaid Chaunsa' and 'Anwer Ratol' cvs. demonstrated the highest percentage of mangoes reaching pea size (48.7% and 22.8% in the river belt and urban belt, respectively). The disease intensity was lower in the river belt than in the urban belt during during the flowering period. Mango orchards in the river belt consistently yielded a greater quantity of fruit, whereas those in the urban belt produced fruit of superior quality. Therefore, the urban belt location can be considered optimal for producing export-quality mangoes in the semi-arid region of Multan division.