Question:

Which hormone can be used for inducing early flowering in mango?

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For tropical fruit crops like mango, remember that gibberellins generally inhibit flowering, while ethylene-releasing agents like Ethephon and gibberellin-inhibitors like Paclobutrazol promote flowering.
  • Ethephon
  • Gibberellic acid
  • IAA
  • IBA
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The Correct Option is A

Solution and Explanation

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
The regulation of flowering in perennial fruit crops such as mango (Mangifera indica) is a complex physiological process governed by the balance of endogenous hormones, nutritional status, and environmental conditions.
Commercial mango production is often hampered by the phenomenon of alternate bearing, where a heavy crop in one year (“on-year”) is followed by little or no crop in the succeeding year (“off-year”).
To overcome this and ensure consistent yields, plant growth regulators (PGRs) are applied to manipulate vegetative growth and initiate reproductive development.
Ethylene-releasing compounds play a pivotal role in signaling the shoot apical meristem to transition from a vegetative state to a floral state.

Step 2: Detailed Explanation:

Ethephon (2-chloroethylphosphonic acid) is an organic compound that, upon absorption by plant tissues, undergoes hydrolysis to release ethylene gas directly into the cells.
Ethylene acts as a potent inhibitor of vegetative growth and promotes the synthesis of florigenic promoters in the leaves.
Applying Ethephon during the post-rainy season or early winter months suppresses active vegetative flushes, which is a prerequisite for floral induction.
This vegetative arrest allows starch and other carbohydrates to accumulate in the mature twigs, elevating the carbon-to-nitrogen ratio.
This physiological shift triggers flower bud differentiation, leading to early and synchronized flowering even during naturally unfavourable off-years.
In contrast, Gibberellic acid (such as \(\text{GA}_3\)) acts as a strong flowering inhibitor in mango.
Gibberellins promote active vegetative growth and maintain the juvenile state of the meristem, thereby delaying or preventing flower bud formation.
Auxins like Indole-3-Acetic Acid (IAA) and Indole-3-Butyric Acid (IBA) are primary growth promoters involved in cell elongation, apical dominance, and root initiation.
While auxins play minor roles in subsequent fruit set and retention, they are not effective agents for initiating early floral induction in mango compared to ethylene-releasing chemicals.

Step 3: Final Answer:

Therefore, Ethephon is the most suitable and widely accepted commercial hormone used to induce early and regular flowering in mango cultivars.
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