Effect of Pusa Hydrogel and Plant Growth Regulators on Vegetative Growth, Flowering and Fruiting of Strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa Dutch) Cv. Chandler

Abstract

Aims: The aim of controlling vegetative growth of Chandler strawberry cultivar using pusa hydogel (25 g and 50 g), Cycocel (500 ppm and 1000 ppm) and triacontanol (100 ppm and 150 ppm).
 Study Design: The experiment was carried out in Randomized Block Design (RBD) with three replications.
 Place and Duration of Study: The experiment was carried out at Central Research Field Department of Horticulture, SHUATS, Naini, Prayagraj - 211007, U.P. (India) during the year 2015-2016 and 2016-2017.
 Methodology: A field experiment was conducted with 27 treatments. The observations were recorded on vegetative, flowering and fruiting traits. The mean data were subjected to the various statistical analyses.
 Results: In vegetative characters, maximum plant height 18.65 cm, 15.75 cm and 17.20 cm, number of leaves per plant 15.60, 14.66 and 15.13, plant spread 21.77 cm, 21.32 cm and 21.55 cm, petiole length 21.77 cm, 21.32 cm and 21.55 cm during both the years and pooled of study were recorded in T20 [Triacontanol (150 ppm) + Pusa hydrogel (50 gram)], whereas minimum values for these parameters were recorded with control and T4 (Cycocel -1000 ppm). In the Floral and Fruiting characters, earliest flowering 54.60 days, 55.31 days and 54.96 days, highest number of flowers plant-1 12.57, 12.07 and 12.32, earliest fruiting 69.13 days, 70.40 days and 69.77 days, maximum fruit length 5.20 mm, 4.89 mm and 5.05 mm and fruit width 3.43 mm, 3.38 mm and 3.41 mm for two successive years and pooled were recorded in T23 [Triacontanol (150 ppm) + Cycocel (500 ppm) + Pusa hydrogel (50 gram)]; while Late flowering (50.20 days) and minimum number of flowers plant-1 and other characters were recorded in T0.
 Conclusion: On the basis of present investigation, it is concluded that the treatment T23 [Triacontanol (150 ppm) + Cycocel (500 ppm) + Pusa hydrogel (50 gram)] was found best in terms of flowering and fruiting parameters of strawberry while maximum growth parameters were recorded under treatment T20 [Triacontanol (150 ppm) + Pusa hydrogel (50 gram)].