Effect of Exogenous Application of Salicylic Acid and Triacontanol on Growth, Yield and Quality of Strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.) cv. Camarosa
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Date
2016
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SKUAST-K
Abstract
The present study entitled “Effect of exogenous application of salicylic acid and triacontanol on growth, yield and quality of strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa Duch.) cv. Camarosa.” was carried out at Experimental Farm, Division of Fruit Science, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir, Shalimar, Srinagar (J&K) during 2015. Treatments consisted of three levels of salicylic acid (0, 1 and 2 mM) and three levels of triacontanol (0, 5 and 10µM), constituting total 9 treatment combinations. The experiment was laid out in Randomised Complete Block Design with factorial arrangements and replicated thrice. The treatments were applied as foliar spray at 3-4 leaf stage in the spring season and again 15 days after 1st spray. Results revealed that the exogenous application of salicylic acid as well as triacontanol had significant effect on vegetative growth, flowering, fruiting and fruit yield of strawberry (cv. Camarosa) compared to control, although the interaction effect of these two growth regulators was non-significant for all the parameters studied. Among the salicylic acid treatments, the salicylic acid @ 2mM resulted maximum plant height (27.00 cm), plant spread (24.98 cm) and number of leaves per plant (17.19). Maximum duration of flowering (36.79 days) was observed with salicylic acid @ 2mM; however, it was at par with the salicylic acid @ 1mM. Salicylic acid @ 2 mM also resulted maximum numbers of flowers per plant (18.36), fruit set (81.28%), number of fruits per plant (14.47) and fruit yield (161.85 g plant-1/11989 kg ha-1). Physico-chemical quality of the berries was improved by the application of salicylic acid as compared with control, wherein maximum fruit weight (12.61 g), fruit length (3.33 cm), fruit breadth (3.00 cm), TSS (11.43 oBrix), ascorbic acid (69.16 mg 100g-1), reducing sugars (3.93%) and total sugars (9.27%) and acidity (0.93%) was recorded with salicylic acid @ 2mM. Salicylic acid was also found effective in improving storability of fruits compared with control as it resulted significantly minimum physiological loss in weight and rotting percent, and retained higher values for biochemical parameters of fruits at 2, 4 and 6 day of storage studies under ambient conditions.
Among the triacontanol treatments, application of triacontanol @10 µM resulted maximum plant height (27.26 cm), plant spread (25.08 cm) and number of leaves per plant (17.88). Triacontanol significantly increased the duration of flowering, number of flowers per plant fruit set (%) and number of fruits per plant, but it delayed fruit maturity. Maximum number of flowers per plant (18.89), fruit set (81.92%), number of fruits per plant (14.62) and fruit yield (166.29 g plant-1/12318 kg ha-1) was recorded with triacontanol @10 µM. Triacontanol also enhanced the physico-chemical quality of the fruits compared with control, wherein maximum fruit weight (12.82 g), fruit length (3.39 cm), fruit breadth (3.02 cm), TSS (11.39 oBrix), ascorbic acid (68.74 mg 100g-1), reducing sugars (4.09%), total sugars (9.43%) and minimum acidity (0.80%) was recorded with triacontanol @10 µM. In storage studies of fruits at 2, 4 and 6 days under ambient conditions, the triacontanol showed non-significant effect of physiological weight loss and rotting percent of fruits compared with control. Although, significantly higher values of TSS and reducing sugar and lower fruit acidity was recorded with triacontanol treatment only at 2nd and 4th day of storage study, while at 6th day of storage, it was at par with control. The ascorbic acid and total sugars of fruits were significantly affected by triacontanol only at 2 day of storage and no significant difference was observed at 4 or 6 day of storage. The present study indicated that strawberry showed positive responses to exogenous application of salicylic acid and triacontanol in terms of enhanced vegetative growth, flowering, fruiting and fruit yield, and particularly salicylic acid is promising in retaining fruit quality during storage. It is therefore concluded that the salicylic acid @ 2mM and triacontanol @10 µM was effective in enhancing growth and productivity of strawberry cv. Camarosa and also salicylic acid @ 2mM can be used for enhancing the storability of fruits.
Description
M.Sc Thesis submitted to SKUAST Kashmir
Keywords
Salicylic acid, Storability, Strawberry, Strawberry, Fruit Science