Effect of chemicals and growth regulators on fruit retention, yield and quality of mango cv. Amrapali.
Vejendla V., Maity P. K., Banik B. C.
Author Affiliation: Department of Fruits and Orchard Management, Faculty of Horticulture, Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Mohanpur - 741 235, Nadia, West Bengal, India.
Journal of Crop and Weed 4 : 45-46
Abstract : A field experiment was conducted during 2005-06 in West Bengal, India, to study the effect of chemicals and growth regulators on fruit retention, yield and quality of mango cv. Amrapali. Treatments comprised: NAA at either 25 or 50 ppm (T1 and T2), 2,4-D at either 10 or 20 ppm (T3 and T4), ZnSO4 at 0.50% or 0.75% (T5 and T6), KNO3 at 0.50% or 0.75% (T7 and T8), and a control (water spray; T9). Two sprays were applied, one at pea stage and other at marble stage. The chemicals and growth regulators showed significant influence on the fruit retention and yield of Amrapali over the control. NAA at 50 ppm recorded maximum (9.85%) fruit retention per panicle followed by 2,4-D at 10 ppm. Plants receiving NAA at 50 ppm produced the highest number of fruits per plant and yield (88/plant and 16.24 kg/plant) followed by 2,4-D at 10 ppm and NAA at 25 ppm. Plants without applied chemicals and growth regulators recorded the minimum fruit retention per panicle at harvest, number of fruits harvested from plant, and yield per plant followed by KNO3 at 0.50%. Spraying of ZnSO4 at 0.75% resulted in the production of superior fruits with significantly higher fruit weight (216.83 g), pulp (71.90%), TSS (19.67°Brix), total sugar (15.91%), TSS/acid ratio (115.01) and lower peel and stone percentage, and the fruits were also less acidic (0.171), though there was no significant variation in fruit acidity among treatments.