Effect of leaf to fruit ratio on yield and quality of guava (Psidium guajava L.) under high density planting
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Date
2018-05
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G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar - 263145 (Uttarakhand)
Abstract
The present experiment was conducted at the Horticulture Research Centre, Patharchatta, Department of Horticulture, GBPUA&T, Pantnagar, India, during the year 2016-17 and 2017-18. Seven year old grafted plants of guava cv. Pant Prabhat having uniformity in growth were selected. The design followed was two factorial randomized block design. The first factor was spacing with four levels i.e. S1 (1.0 m x 1.0 m), S2 (1.5 m x 1.5 m), S3 (2.0 m x 1.0 m) and S4 (2.0 m x 1.5 m). The second factor consisted of leaf to fruit ratios with six levels viz. T1 (4:1), T2 (8:1), T3 (12:1), T4 (16:1), T5 (Defoliation of fruiting shoots; 24:1) and T6 (control; 32:1). Altogether, there were twenty four treatment combinations, replicated thrice. The plant growth parameters like plant spread, plant volume and number of leaves per plant were found highest in the wider spacing S4 (2.0 m x 1.5 m) while the leaf to fruit ratio treatments T4 (16:1) and T3 (12:1) recorded maximum total leaf area per fruit. Spacing S4 (2.0 m x 1.5 m) recorded the highest number of fruits per plant while the yield per plant and per hectare was also found to be maximum with leaf to fruit ratio treatments T4 (16:1) and T3 (12:1). The physical quality parameters like the mean fruit weight, size and volume attained their maximum values with wider spacing S4 (2.0 m x 1.5 m) and leaf to fruit ratio of T4 (16:1) and T3 (12:1). The seed parameter like number of seeds per fruit was highest in plants at wider spacing S4 (2.0 m x 1.5 m) and leaf to fruit ratio of T4 (16:1) and T3 (12:1). On the other hand, fruits from such plants had the least weight of hundred seeds and seed hardness values. The chemical quality parameters like total soluble solids, ascorbic acid, TSS: acid ratio, sugar: acid ratio and pectin content were found highest in plants at wider spacing S4 (2.0 m x 1.5 m) and leaf to fruit ratio of T4 (16:1) and T3 (12:1). The nutrient status of leaves declined with increase in spacing from S1 (1.0 m x 1.0 m) to S4 (2.0 m x 1.5 m) and leaf to fruit ratio from T1 (4:1) to T4 (16:1) indicating the increase in their utilization by these plants leading to higher yield and quality obtained under these spacing and leaf to fruit ratio combinations. Therefore, the best treatment combination among all was found to be that of S4T4 (2.0 m x 1.5 m with 16:1leaf to fruit ratio) and S4T3 (2.0 m x 1.5 m with 12:1 leaf to fruit ratio) for obtaining maximum yield per hectare along with highest quality fruits. The most optimum leaf to fruit ratio for increasing the yield of guava without compromising the quality of fruits came out to be between 12 to 16 leaves per fruit or a leaf area between 400 to 700 cm2 per fruit.
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