Studies on fruit development and determination of maturity indices in ber (Zizyphus mauritiana Lamk.) cultivars under Tarai region
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Date
2019-08
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G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar - 263145 (Uttarakhand)
Abstract
The present investigation “Studies on fruit development and determination of maturity indices in ber (Zizyphus mauritiana Lamk.) cultivars under Tarai region” was conducted on existing 40 years old ber orchard at Horticulture Research Centre, Patharchatta, G. B. Pant University of
Agriculture & Technology, Pantnagar, U.S. Nagar, Uttarakhand, India during the cropping season of 2017-18 and 2018-19. Eight ber cultivars viz., Chhuhara, Chinese, Kalagola, Nazuk, Sanaur-2, Sanaur-4, Umran and ZG-2 were selected for the study. Three trees per cultivar were selected, each of which was considered as a replication. The experiment was laid out in two factor Randomized Block Design (RBD) with three replications. Sampling dates and cultivars were considered as the treatments. There were 11 sampling dates commences at 28 days after full bloom (DAFB) to 168 DAFB and observations were taken at biweekly interval for determining the changes in growth pattern and quality attributes in ber cultivars. During the last two months of maturity the fruit samples were picked at a narrow interval of 7 (weekly) days from 112 DAFB so as to fix up the appropriate maturity indices under tarai conditions in terms of their biochemical and functional attributes while sensory attributes were judged from 126 DAFB. Twenty fruits at every sampling date from each tree were plucked randomly from all directions of the tree collected in a polyethylene bags and carried to the postharvest laboratory of the Department of Horticulture and analyzed for
physical, biochemical and functional characteristics on the day of harvesting. Significant differences in terms of physical, computational, bio-chemical, functional and sensory quality attributes were observed among the ber cultivars during the span of study. Finding of the study showed a characteristic double sigmoid growth pattern in terms of fruit size, weight, volume, flesh: stone ratio and TSS in most of the cultivars.
On the basis of various physico-chemical, functional and sensory quality attributes, most of the cultivars attained their physiological/horticultural harvest maturity at 154 to 168 days after full bloom except Nazuk and ZG-2 which got their harvest maturity at 140 DAFB. DAFB, TSS, TSS: acid ratio, specific gravity, firmness and total carotenoid content were found to be the reliable maturity indices of maturity in ber cultivars. Therefore, the present study will be useful to have multiple indices to fulfill the needs of growers, distributors, consumers and also for pharmaceutical and nutraceutical industry.
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