EFFECT OF DIFFERENT REPRODUCTIVE FLUSH, BIOSTIMULANTS AND GROWTH REGULATORS ON FRUIT SET, YIELD AND QUALITY OF DRAGON FRUIT [Hylocereus polyrhizus (Britton & Rose)] UNDER SAURASHTRA REGION 3716
Loading...
Files
Date
2023-08
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
JAU JUNAGADH
Abstract
The current experiment titled “Effect of different reproductive flush,
biostimulants and growth regulators on fruit set, yield and quality of dragon fruit
[Hylocereus polyrhizus (Britton & Rose)] under Saurashtra region” was conducted at
Instructional Farm, Polytechnic in Horticulture, Junagadh Agricultural University,
Junagadh during the year 2022. The treatment comprised three levels of reproductive
flush (F1- June, F2- July and F3- August) and eleven levels of biostimulants and growth
regulators (B1- Seaweed extract @ 1%, B2- Seaweed extract @ 2%, B3- Cytozyme @
0.4%, B4- Cytozyme @ 0.6%, B5- Novel organic fertilizer @ 1.5%, B6- Novel organic
fertilizer @ 2%, B7- CPPU @ 10 ppm, B8- CPPU @ 20 ppm, B9- GA3 @ 100 ppm, B10-
GA3 @ 200 ppm, B11- Control). The experiment was laid out in Randomized Block
Design (RBD) with factorial concept with three replications and thirty-three treatment
combinations.
The result revealed that out of the three reproductive flush, F2 (July) witnessed
maximum number of flowers/plant (3.73), fruit set (91.01%), number of fruits/plant
(3.15), fruit yield (2.67 kg/pillar), fruit yield (12.38 t/ha), fruit breadth (7.11 cm), pulp
weight (185.49 g), TSS:TA ratio (61.83), lowest titrable acidity (0.22%) and lowest
fruit drop (9.00%). Whereas maximum fruit weight (267.45 g), total sugar (12.71%),
reducing sugar (9.16%), ascorbic acid (8.91 mg/100 g pulp), minimum days to flower
(14.55) and minimum days to fruit set (18.57) was observed during F3 (August). While
maximum TSS (13.26 °Brix), fruit pulp percentage (72.60%) and lowest peel weight
(59.18 g) were noticed during F1 (June).
For the various treatment of biostimulant and growth regulators given, B2
(Seaweed extract @ 2%) turned out to be better over others and resulted in maximum
number of flowers/plant (4.63), number of fruits/plant (4.22), fruit yield (3.60 kg/pillar),
fruit yield (16.66 t/ha), fruit length (12.22 cm), fruit breadth (8.55 cm), fruit weight
(391.79 g), pulp weight (293.14 g), TSS (14.87 °Brix), total sugar (13.77%), reducing
sugar (9.63%), ascorbic acid (9.81 mg/100 g pulp), fruit pulp percentage (75.12%),
TSS:TA ratio (135.95) and lowest titrable acidity (0.12%). While maximum non reducing sugar (4.38%) was noted in B1 (Seaweed extract @ 1%). The result also
showed that B8 (CPPU @ 20 ppm) took minimum days to flower (13.20) and minimum
days to fruit set (20.92) whereas maximum fruit set (91.37%) and lowest fruit drop
(8.64%) were noticed in B7 (CPPU @ 10 ppm). And lowest peel weight (52.73 g) was
observed in B11 (Control).
The interaction effect of reproductive flush, biostimulants and growth regulators
was found non-significant for maximum parameters except for some fruit set and yield
parameters. The result indicated maximum number of flowers/plant (6.34), number of
fruits/plant (5.33), fruit yield (4.44 kg/pillar) and fruit yield (20.54 t/ha) in F2B2 (July +
Seaweed extract @ 2%) whereas lowest fruit drop (0.03%) was recorded in F2B7 (July
+ CPPU @ 10 ppm) and F2B8 (July + CPPU @ 10 ppm), respectively.