What I struggle with here is there are two reference articles and whether they explain the early production of fruit as being any different this year compared to previous years.
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The ABC Rural Report on research into promoting a longer production season through flower manipulation. The research program over five years had only recently concluded. It is intent on more even production over the season.
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The NT, DPIR PDF article re the use of a chemical to promote better flowering. The chemical referenced is paclobutrazol. The article dates from Sept 2006. That is not very recent!
So the chemical has been in use for more than 15 years. But this year is different?
Further, the recent research program appears to identify the onset of flowering to periods of cooler weather. Some trees will develop flowers naturally and early given suitable climate conditions. The research suggested that if the chemical was applied consistent with these identified periods, it would improve the performance of the chemical and increase the quantity/quality of naturally occurring early flowering.
Neither of these articles or the recent ABC article on mangoes to market from the NT specifically attribute the availability of the crop to a specific intervention that has moved the flowering or fruit set period. The suggestion in the two referenced growing articles is that even where there is early natural flowering aided by the chemical treatment fruit development is still subject to climatic conditions. Evidence was that early flowering trees produced fruit that matured approx 2 weeks prior to much later flowering in the same environment.
It is reasonable to suggest that the early development and maturity of the fruit is more dependent on the warmer than usual winter up north than any other factor. Intervention only provides the potential to increase the volume of the first pick. Nature still reigns.
It’s also why mangoes develop later the further south along the east coast. It’s to do with summer temperatures.
