Studies on fruit cracking in litchi (Litchi chinensis) cultivar early large Red
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Date
2016
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Publisher
CCSHAU
Abstract
A field experiment entitled “Studies on fruit cracking in litchi (Litchi chinensis) cultivar Early
Large Red”, was carried out at Regional Research Station (Horticulture), Buria, Yamunanagar of the
Department of Horticulture, Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar during
2014. The study was carried out with two objectives i.e., finding out the suitable concentration of
nutrients for controlling fruit cracking and secondly, assessing the impact of fruit cracking on
economics of litchi. Three nutrients zinc sulphate (0.50, 1.00, 1.50 and 2.00%), calcium chloride (1.00,
2.00, 3.00 and 4.00%) and Borax (0.40, 0.60, 0.80 and 1.00%) were taken for treatments investigating
their effects on fruit cracking in litchi over water spray and no spray (control). The experiment was
carried in randomized block design with three replications. Three trees were observed per replication
for different tree and fruit characters. The litchi trees were of 23 year old and the cultivar was Early
Large Red. The mode of application of the nutrients at different concentrations was foliar as spray done
on 15 April and 5th May, 2014. Growth characters like tree height, diameter and girth were not affected
with any of the treatment.
Borax @ 0.80% resulted in highest number of fruits per branch (196.1), fruit weight (21.97 g),
fruit length (3.69cm), fruit yield (70.33 kg/plant), TSS content, sugar acid ratio, reducing and non
reducing sugar, yield of quality fruits (2757.5 kg per acre), gross returns (Rs.228453) and net returns
(Rs. 177442) per acre. This treatment also resulted in lowest acidity, cracked fruit yield (196.4 kg per
ace), net loss of Rs. 7881 per acre (3.34%), lowest fruit cracking (3.57, 4.18, 5.20 and 6.66%) at seven
days intervals, lowest cost of production of Rs. 17.27 per kg. Calcium chloride at 1.00 % resulted in
highest firmness (2.57 kg/cm2) but this nutrient was performed better to enhance the shelf life (7.7
days) at 2.00%. Treatment ‘no spray’ (control) resulted in highest cracked fruit yield of 680.4 kg/acre.
The net loss in terms of per cent was highest in no spray (control) i.e. 14.53 (Rs. 27217 per
acre). The benefit per rupee invested (b: c ratio) i.e. 4.09 was found maximum with Borax @ 0.80%
followed by 0.40% (4.05), and 0.60% (4.01) with the same nutrient. Conclusively, foliar spray of
Borax at 0.80 per cent concentration was found most suitable for controlling the fruit cracking in litchi
cultivar Early Large Red as well as in terms of remuneration.
Description
Keywords
Inorganic acid salts, Fruits, Zinc, Calcium, Costs, Diseases, Concentrates, Sugar, Yields, Nutrients