EFFECT OF PLANT GROWTH REGULATORS ON VINE GROWTH AND YIELD OF WATERMELON (Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Mansf.) CV. SUGAR BABY
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Date
1991-08-08
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MAHATMA PHULE AGRICULTURAL UNIVERSITY POST GRADUATE INSTITUTE RAHURI _ 413 722
Abstract
The investigation laid out in RBD was undertaken during summer season of 1990-91 with twenty treatments comprising of 18 growth regulator treatments (125, 250, 375, 500, 625 and 750 ppm Ethrel; 125, 250, 375, 500, 750 and 1000 ppm CCC; and 25, 50, 75, 100, 125 and 150 ppm NAA), water spray and control. The growth regulators were sprayed at 2- and 4-true leaf stages. The findings reveal that Ethrel treatments initially significantly reduced vine length, but finally the vine length was more than CCC, NAA and control. NAA also was not effective. Higher concentrations of CCC produced less vine length at all the stages. The highest and significant reduction in vine length was in 1000 ppm CCC. All the chemicals gave slightly more branches at initial stages, more so by the Ethrel, however, finally they were at par with control. All the chemicals increased the total plant weight. Ethrel treatments significantly delayed the first male and female flower production. CCC and NAA hastened first female flower appearance. All the chemicals, especially Ethrel and NAA, produced less number of male and more number of female flowers, and consequently had lowered sex ratio. Ethrel significantly increased the node number to which first female flower appeared while CCC and NAA decreased it. Ethrel significantly increased crop duration (109.33 to 111.33 days), while CCC (88.67 to 91.67) and NAA (88.67 to 94.00) reduced it as compared to control (97.67). Ethrel, CCC and NAA produced more number of marketable fruits and the yield per vine , the Ethrel treatments being more effective followed by 150 ppm NAA and 1000 ppm CCC. None of the chemicals gave significantly higher fruit weight over control. However, all the Ethrel treatments were inferior and some of the CCC and NAA treatments were useful. All the chemicals produced thinner rind. CCC and NAA increased seed content. Ethrel was not good to improve fruit quality. The flesh colour was whitish red to light red, T.S.S. was lower and flesh lacked crispness. On the contrary, in CCC and NAA, the fruit quality was considerably improved. Flesh was dark red and crisp, and T.S.S. was much higher. 7 The overall results indicated that the 1000 ppm CCC and 150 ppm NAA gave more yield with reduced crop duration and better quality of fruits.
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