RESPONSE OF GA3 AND GROWTH PROMOTING CHEMICALS ON GROWTH AND PRODUCTION OF ACID LIME (Citrus aurantifolia Swingle.) cv. KAGZI
Loading...
Date
2024
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
College of Horticulture and Forestry, Jhalawar
Abstract
A field experiment titled “Response of GA3 and growth promoting chemicals on growth and production of acid lime (Citrus aurantifolia Swingle.) cv. Kagzi” was conducted at the Instructional Farm, Department of Fruit Science, College of Horticulture and Forestry, Jhalawar, during June 2023 to December 2023. The experiment consisted of nine treatments, viz. T0 (control), T1 (GA3 @ 50 ppm), T2 (GA3 @ 100 ppm), T3 (GA3 @ 50 ppm + KNO3 @ 1%), T4 (GA3 @ 100 ppm + KNO3 @ 2%), T5 (GA3 @ 50 ppm + Thiourea @ 1%), T6 (GA3 @ 100 ppm + Thiourea @ 2%), T7 (GA3 @ 50 ppm + Salicylic acid @ 100 ppm) and T8 (GA3 @ 100 ppm + Salicylic acid @ 200 ppm). The experiment was laid out in a randomized block design with three replications. Among the various foliar treatment combinations, T4 treatment (GA3 @ 100 ppm + KNO3 @ 2%) was recorded maximum increment in plant height, plant spread [E-W and N-S], canopy volume, leaf area index, relative water content (%), leaf osmolality (mmol/kg) and total chlorophyll (mg g-1). The results indicated that the foliar application of T4 treatment (GA3 at 100 ppm + KNO3 at 2%) was found significantly superior over other treatments in which minimum days to first flowering, the minimum total span of flowering, the maximum number of flowers per shoot and the maximum percentages of fruit set besides fruit retention more recorded.
The results further manifested that the foliar application of treatment T4 (GA3 @ 100 ppm + KNO3 @ 2%) was the most effective in increasing the fruit length (cm), fruit breadth (cm), fruit juice percentage, TSS content, ascorbic acid (mg/100 ml), reducing sugars (%), non-reducing sugars (%), total sugars (%), specific gravity, osmolality in juice (mmol/kg), number of fruits tree-1, fruit weight (g) and yield (kg/tree). It also reduced peel thickness (mm), the number of seeds per fruit, the weight of seed per fruit and titratable acidity (%). Conclusively, the treatment T4 (GA3 @ 100 ppm + KNO3 @ 2%) was overall best in impacting growth and production of acid lime trees.