Bwa-yo - Société Audubon Haiti

Figure 11.2 Mango thrives in Haiti and has
become the most common fruit tree at lower
elevations.
Figure 11.3 Typical form of a mature mango
tree.
Mango 89
taproot system that aids in drought
tolerance. The imported horticultural
varieties are recognized by their
dwarf stature; short main stem with
dense, compact crowns; and massive
branching as a result of pruning and
grafting management regimes.
The growth of mango occurs in
periodic flushes, with a tendency of
bearing every other year. Its growth
is influenced by variety, climate, and
soil conditions. Rain and high
humidity at blossoming reduce pollination
and fruit setting. It takes about
2-5 months to develop fruit after fertilization,
depending on cultivar and
temperature (Purseglove, 1968a).
Fruit is produced between 6-10 years
from seed and 3-5 years from grafts.
1\ typical yield from a mature tree is
35 kg of fresh fruit.
The regional differences in climate,
particularly the distribution of
rainfall as affected by the mountainous
landscape, play an important role
in the fruiting cycles of mango. The
typical savanna pattern oflow rainfall
in the cooler months (November to
March) and higher rainfall in warmer
months controls mid-winter flowering
and provides the major crops
from May through August. A short
dry period occurs during the midsummer
that coincides with a second
flowering period and yielding early
mango harvests from November
through April. Figure 11.4 compares
the differences in fruiting seasons for
the major varieties and growing
regions of Haiti.
The polyembryonic varieties in
Haiti, derived from genetic parentage
originating in Southeast Asia, are not
seriously affected by anthracnose
(Colletotrichum gloeosporiodes),
scab (Elsinoe mangiferae) or pow-