Crop regulation in guava cv. Sardar asinfluenced by chemicals and cultural practices under semi arid conditions of Rajasthan

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted at Instrumental Farm, Department of Horticulture, Rajasthan College of Agriculture, Udaipur. The experiment consisted of 8 treatments comprising chemicals (Urea @ 10% and 15% foliar spray, NAA @ 1000 ppm) and cultural practices (pruning at 75 % and 50 % intensity, bending of shoots, withholding of irrigation water) were applied during the course of investigation. These treatments were evaluated under randomized block design with 4 replications by adopting uniform cultural schedule during the experimentation. The results revealed that all treatments had significant increase in vegetative growth characteristics (number of newly emerged shoots, per cent increase in shoot growth after 30 days interval, canopy volume, PAR above and below canopy and leaf area index) physico-chemical characteristics(Fruit weight, pulp thickness, pulp: seed ratio, TSS, acidity, ascorbic acid content, total sugars and reducing sugar) and yield characteristics( per cent fruit retention, number of fruits per plant, yield per tree and yield per hectare) over the Ambe bahar and control. Among the treatments foliar spray of NAA @ 1000 ppm in the month of April (T7) significantly increase the canopy volume (371.55 m3), fruit weight (152.60 g), pulp thickness (1.13 cm), pulp seed ratio (58:90), TSS (13.80%), ascorbic acid (193.75 mg/100 gm pulp), total sugars (7.29%) and reducing sugar (4.21%) followed by application of single foliar spray of 15 per cent urea at 50 per cent bloom stage (T2). Number of fruit per plant (389.50), yield per tree (56.38 kg) estimated fruit yield (156.39 q ha-1) with higher net return (Rs.109394.88 ha-1) and B: C ratio (2.81:1) were recorded maximum in T2.