Effect of nutrients sprays on growth, yield and fruit quality of apple under cold desert condition of Himachal Pradesh

Abstract

The on farm trial was carried out to study the effect of nutrients sprays on growth, yield and fruit quality of apple cv. Royal Delicious under cold desert condition of Himachal Pradesh. Treatments comprised spray of boric acid (0.1%), urea (0.5%), boric acid (0.1%) + urea (0.5%), multiplex (250 ml/100 litre of water) and no use of nutrients (water spray). The highest growth in terms of shoot length was observed with spray of urea at 0.5% and the highest fruit set and yield were recorded with boric acid (0.1%) + urea (0.5%) followed by boric acid at 0.1%. The lowest growth, fruit set and yield were observed with control. The combination of boric acid (0.1%) + urea (0.5%) resulted in the highest fruit length, breadth and weight. The highest total soluble solids were recorded with boric acid 0.1% and the reducing and total sugars were the highest with control. The acidity was found maximum while total soluble solids, reducing and total sugars were recorded lowest with spray of urea 0.5%. The treatment comprising of boric acid (0.1%) + urea (0.5%) proved to be best in terms of fruit set, yield and quality parameters of apple followed by boric acid at 0.1% concentration.