Dr. K. D. PatelPRERNA PRACHI20206210172024-04-062024-04-062023-08https://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/5810208202The current experiment titled “Effect of different reproductive flush, biostimulants and growth regulators on fruit set, yield and quality of dragon fruit [Hylocereus polyrhizus (Britton & Rose)] under Saurashtra region” was conducted at Instructional Farm, Polytechnic in Horticulture, Junagadh Agricultural University, Junagadh during the year 2022. The treatment comprised three levels of reproductive flush (F1- June, F2- July and F3- August) and eleven levels of biostimulants and growth regulators (B1- Seaweed extract @ 1%, B2- Seaweed extract @ 2%, B3- Cytozyme @ 0.4%, B4- Cytozyme @ 0.6%, B5- Novel organic fertilizer @ 1.5%, B6- Novel organic fertilizer @ 2%, B7- CPPU @ 10 ppm, B8- CPPU @ 20 ppm, B9- GA3 @ 100 ppm, B10- GA3 @ 200 ppm, B11- Control). The experiment was laid out in Randomized Block Design (RBD) with factorial concept with three replications and thirty-three treatment combinations. The result revealed that out of the three reproductive flush, F2 (July) witnessed maximum number of flowers/plant (3.73), fruit set (91.01%), number of fruits/plant (3.15), fruit yield (2.67 kg/pillar), fruit yield (12.38 t/ha), fruit breadth (7.11 cm), pulp weight (185.49 g), TSS:TA ratio (61.83), lowest titrable acidity (0.22%) and lowest fruit drop (9.00%). Whereas maximum fruit weight (267.45 g), total sugar (12.71%), reducing sugar (9.16%), ascorbic acid (8.91 mg/100 g pulp), minimum days to flower (14.55) and minimum days to fruit set (18.57) was observed during F3 (August). While maximum TSS (13.26 °Brix), fruit pulp percentage (72.60%) and lowest peel weight (59.18 g) were noticed during F1 (June). For the various treatment of biostimulant and growth regulators given, B2 (Seaweed extract @ 2%) turned out to be better over others and resulted in maximum number of flowers/plant (4.63), number of fruits/plant (4.22), fruit yield (3.60 kg/pillar), fruit yield (16.66 t/ha), fruit length (12.22 cm), fruit breadth (8.55 cm), fruit weight (391.79 g), pulp weight (293.14 g), TSS (14.87 °Brix), total sugar (13.77%), reducing sugar (9.63%), ascorbic acid (9.81 mg/100 g pulp), fruit pulp percentage (75.12%), TSS:TA ratio (135.95) and lowest titrable acidity (0.12%). While maximum non reducing sugar (4.38%) was noted in B1 (Seaweed extract @ 1%). The result also showed that B8 (CPPU @ 20 ppm) took minimum days to flower (13.20) and minimum days to fruit set (20.92) whereas maximum fruit set (91.37%) and lowest fruit drop (8.64%) were noticed in B7 (CPPU @ 10 ppm). And lowest peel weight (52.73 g) was observed in B11 (Control). The interaction effect of reproductive flush, biostimulants and growth regulators was found non-significant for maximum parameters except for some fruit set and yield parameters. The result indicated maximum number of flowers/plant (6.34), number of fruits/plant (5.33), fruit yield (4.44 kg/pillar) and fruit yield (20.54 t/ha) in F2B2 (July + Seaweed extract @ 2%) whereas lowest fruit drop (0.03%) was recorded in F2B7 (July + CPPU @ 10 ppm) and F2B8 (July + CPPU @ 10 ppm), respectively.EnglishThesis