Effect of foliar spray of boron and zinc on fruit quality of papaya (<i>Carica papaya</i> L.) cv. Red Lady in Chitwan, Nepal

Abstract

A field experiment was carried out at the commercial papaya farm, Chanauli, Chitwan, from January 2016 to December 2016 to find out the effect of foliar spray of boron and zinc on the quality of papaya ( Carica papaya L.) cv. Red Lady. The experiment consisted of eleven treatments viz., T1-Control (No spray), T2-Water Spray, T3-Borax at 0.1 % and ZnSO 4 at 0.1 %, T4-Borax at 0.1 % and ZnSO 4 at 0.2 %, T5-Borax at 0.1 % and ZnSO 4 at 0.3 %, T6-Borax at 0.2 % and ZnSO 4 at 0.1 %, T7-Borax at 0.2 % and ZnSO 4 at 0.2 %, T8-Borax at 0.2 % and ZnSO 4 at 0.3 %, T9-Borax at 0.3 % and ZnSO 4 at 0.1 %, T10-Borax at 0.3 % and ZnSO 4 at 0.2 % and T11-Borax at 0.3 % and ZnSO 4 at 0.3 Post-harvest analysis of the harvested fruits was done at the post-harvest laboratory of Agriculture and Forestry University, Rampur, Chitwan. Significantly the highest values were observed for the quality parameters like ascorbic acid content (4.67 mg/100 g pulp), TSS (11.68 °Brix), P H of fruit juice (5.53), TSS/TA ratio (101.63), and fruit firmness (2.73 Kg/cm 2 ) with the application of borax at 0.3 % and ZnSO 4 at 0.2 %. Similarly, the lowest values for titratable acidity (0.115 %) and physiological loss in weight during 3 days (1.60 %), 5 days (2.00 %), 7 days (3.05 %), and 9 days (4.75 %) after storage at room temperature were found in the same treatment.