Abstract
The findings of present investigation revealed that the application of 80 kg farm yard manure (FYM) per plant significantly increased trunk diameter (9.47%), fruit yield (25.22 kg/tree), number of fruits (212.75 fruits/tree), average fruit weight (118.22 g), fruit diameter (5.96 cm), fruit length (5.58 cm), volume of fruit (129.71 cc), peel weight (32.95 g), weight of sacs (85.27 g), juice percentage (48.30%), TSS (12.11 °B), ascorbic acid (26.37 mg/100 g edible portion), total sugar (6.63%), reducing sugar (2.92%), non-reducing sugar (3.71%), juice acidity (0.79%) (significantly minimum), phosphorus soil at 15 to 30 cm depth (12.50%), soil potassium at 0 to 15, 15 to 30 and 30 to 60 cm depths (0.74, 2.27 and 0.75%, respectively), leaf nitrogen (28.17%), leaf potassium (6.28%), leaf zinc (27.88%), leaf iron (5.47%) and minimum 29.92 days to 75% flowering, 52.58 days to fruit set at initial stage and 6.33% fruit drop at maturity. Whereas, application of FYM 60 kg per plant gave maximum B:C ratio (2.30) and net return (38472.31 Rs/ha). The application of 750 g nitrogen per plant gave significant maximum trunk diameter (8.99%), average weight (118.19 g), diameter (6.06 cm) and length of fruit (5.53 cm), peel weight (33.38 g), weight of sacs (84.80 g), volume of fruit (132.31 cc), titrable acidity (0.83%), leaf nitrogen (25.25%), leaf zinc (24.37%), leaf iron (3.46%) and minimum 55.60 days to fruit set at initial stage and 6.79% fruit drop at maturity. While the application of 500 g nitrogen per plant increased number of fruits (204.20 per plant), yield (23.19 kg per plant, TSS (11.37 °B), ascorbic acid (25.66 mg/100 g edible portion), total sugar (6.30%), reducing sugar (2.83%), non-reducing sugar (3.48%), B:C ratio (2.55), net return (39212.93 Rs./ha) and minimum 31.33 days to 75% flowering. The combined application of 80 kg FYM and 750 g nitrogen per plant led to significant increase in plant height (15.20%), spread (N-S, 18.03%; E-W, 18.99%), canopy volume (81.81%), soil nitrogen at different depths (0 to 15 cm, 41.78%; 15 to 30 cm, 51.36% and 30 to 60 cm, 27.71%) over initial level. Key words: Farm yard manure (FYM), nitrogen, kinnow mandarin, soil and leaf analysis, hot arid region, economical treatments, sandy soils, fruit yield.
Highlights
Citrus is the leading fruit crop of the world
Kinnow mandarin is an important crop of hot arid region of Rajasthan
Its production as well as quality is deteriorating day by day because farmers do not know the nutritional value of fruit orchards; and because the soil of hot arid regions is not fertile; it has low carbon and nitrogen contents, which are essential for growth and development of plants
Summary
Citrus is the leading fruit crop of the world. It belongs to the family Rutaceae and sub-family Aurantoideace. Kinnow mandarin is an important crop of hot arid region of Rajasthan. Its production as well as quality is deteriorating day by day because farmers do not know the nutritional value of fruit orchards; and because the soil of hot arid regions is not fertile; it has low carbon and nitrogen contents, which are essential for growth and development of plants. Nitrogen is the most important essential plant nutrient which plays a great role in increasing vegetative growth and fruit production of the plant. There is ample scope for increasing the growth and production parameters by using FYM and nitrogen, especially by standardizing the economic doses. This work was carried out to study the effect of FYM and nitrogen levels on growth, yield and quality of Kinnow mandarin in sandy soils of hot arid region
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