Effect of foliar application of KNO3 on fruit yield and quality in litchi
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Date
2016
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Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana
Abstract
The present investigation was carried out to study the ‘Effect of foliar application of KNO3 on fruit yield and quality in litchi’ during the year 2015-16. Thirty five year’s old uniformly grown ‘Dehradun’ litchi plants established at MS Randhawa FRS, Gangian (Hoshiarpur) were sprayed with KNO3 @ 1.0, 1.5 and 2% at three different stages i.e. single spray 10 days after fruit set (DAFS) (S1); double spray after 10 and 20 DAFS (S2) and triple spray after 10, 20 and 30 DAFS (S3) and the control (water spray). The plants treated with K as foliar feeding significantly improved fruit pericarp colour, marketable fruit yield and quality attributes over the control. Increment in fruit yield to the tune of 13.9% was recorded in trees treated with double spray of KNO3 1% over the control. Fruit weight, size and fruit retention were also improved with different doses of K as foliar feeding. Fruit colour coordinates estimated in terms of ‘L’ value was recorded the highest with one spray of KNO3 1.5% and ‘a’ value also increased from 17.9 to 18.6 with the increased in dose of KNO3 from 1 to 2 per cent as well as single spray of KNO3 1.5%, however; ‘b’ colour value was noted maximum with single spray of KNO31%. Fruit quality characteristics viz. soluble solids content (SSC), SSC/acid ratio and total sugars were also enhanced with single, double and triple sprays of different concentrations of K fertilizers over untreated trees. Leaf N and K contents were significantly higher with foliar feeding of KNO3, however, effect on leaf P content was statistically non significant. From the present studies, it is concluded that single foliar spray of KNO3 1% after 10 DAFS considerably improved fruit size, fruit weight, pericarp colour, pulp/stone ratio and fruit yield in litchi cv. Dehradun.
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Keywords
foliar application, KNO3, litchi, foliar feeding