Effect of foliar application of nutrients on pollen, flowering, fruit-set, fruit drop and yield in mango cv. Dashehari.
Negi S. S., Singh A. K., Rai P. N.
Author Affiliation: Department of Horticulture, G. B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar - 263 145, U. S. Nagar, Uttarakhand, India.
Horticultural Journal 23 : 45-48
Abstract : An experiment was conducted to study the effect of foliar application of calcium, boron, zinc and sorbitol on pollen viability, germination, flowering, per cent hermaphrodite flowers, fruit-set, fruit drop and yield of mango cv. Dashehari. The experiment involved the foliar application of calcium nitrate (600 ppm), boric acid (200 ppm), zinc sulphate (200 ppm) and sorbitol (2000 ppm) alone and in combination. All chemicals were sprayed at start of flowering. Pollen was collected for in vitro observation when 50% of the flowers had bloomed. The results showed that the applied chemicals had significant effect on pollen viability & germination, per cent hermaphrodite flowers, fruit set, fruit drop and yield. However, boric acid (200 ppm)+sorbitol (2000 ppm) proved to be most effective treatment for increasing pollen viability (86.69%), germination (2830%), higher initial & final fruit set (10.81 and 0.48%, respectively) and yield (59.76 Kg tree-1).