Efficacy of blossom thinners on plant growth, fruit retention and quality of plum (Prunus salicina Lindle) cv Kala Amritsari
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Date
2017-01
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G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar - 263145 (Uttarakhand)
Abstract
The present investigation was carried out at Horticulture Research Centre, Patharchatta, Govind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar, District-Udham Singh Nagar, Uttarakhand in the year January- July, 2015 and 2016. The experiment was conducted on 8 years old healthy fruit bearing trees of plum cultivar ‘Kala Amritsari’ having uniform size and vigor. Investigation was laid out in Randomized Block Design (RBD) with three replications and 16 treatments namely; GA3 (25 ppm), GA3 (50 ppm), GA3 (75 ppm), NAA (25 ppm), NAA (50 ppm), NAA (75 ppm), BA (25 ppm), BA (50 ppm), BA (75 ppm), ethephon (100 ppm), ethephon (150 ppm), ethephon (200 ppm), ATS (1.0%), ATS (1.5%), ATS (2.0%)and control (water spray).Observations were recorded on plant growth, flowering, fruit set, fruit physico-chemical and plant physiological parameters. Findings of the present investigation revealed that ATS @ 1.5% recorded maximum extension of shoot growth (32.61 cm), highest number of leaves (34.25) and maximum size of leaves (12.36 cm2) while, highest number of damaged leaves was observed under ATS @ 2.0 % (8.30). In respect to flowering and fruit set parameters the treatment control recorded highest bloom density (50.66%), number of flowers retained (43.36) and number of flower per cluster (8.03). Ethephon @ 150 ppm (80.73 days) however, took least number of days to maturity. The highest initial fruit set (43.70%) though was calculated under the control treatment but maximum fruit retention (34.39%) was counted for ATS @ 1.5% with least fruit drop (65.61%) resulting in highest yield per tree (34.14 kg). Application of the treatment ATS @ 1.5% was found superior among all blossom thinners in enhancing maximum fruit length (4.14 cm), highest fruit width (3.06 cm), maximum fruit weight (21.53 g) and highest fruit volume (22.10 ml). The highest pulp weight (21.35 g) and least stone weight (0.84 g) was also measured under ATS @ 1.5% which as a result calculated highest pulp: stone ratio (27.94). Among different chemical blossom thinners sprayed maximum total soluble solids (12.64), least titrable acidity (0.58), highest ascorbic acid (9.11 mg), maximum total sugar (6.29%) and highest total carotenoides content (10.87 mg) was estimated when ATS @ 1.5% was applied at post bloom stage. Plant physiological parameters was also affected with ATS @ 1.5% which calculated least Chlorophyll ‘a’ content (1.54 mg) and Chlorophyll ‘b’ content (0.88 mg). Based on the present investigation it can be concluded that ATS @ 1.5% was found to be most effective blossom thinner in enhancing plant growth, yield and physico-chemical attributes in plum cv. ‘Kala Amritsari’ under tarai region of Uttrakhand.
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