Foliar Fertilization for Enhancing Yield and Fruit Quality of Apple under Rain-Fed Conditions of Mid-Himalayas

Abstract

A participatory experiment was conducted to assess the effect of foliar application of urea and Agromin on apple. Agromin is a commercial formulation of micronutrients containing mineral elements comprising of optimum proportion of zinc, copper, manganese, boron, molybdenum and magnesium. The experiment was conducted at three different sites at altitudes between 1800 to 2200 m above mean sea level. Thirteen to fifteen years old, uniform trees of cultivar Royal Delicious were applied with treatments viz. Urea @ 0.5% (T1), Agromin @ 0.25% (T2), Urea @ 0.5% + Agromin @ 0.25% (T3), Urea @ 1.0% (T4) and Urea @ 1.0% + Agromin @ 0.25% (T5). Urea and Agromin sprays were done between tight to pink cluster stage of growth. These treatments were compared to control plants which were applied the recommended doses of Nitrogen. Results showed that vegetative growth was significantly influenced by the application of urea and agromin. Application of Urea @1.0% + Agromin 0.5% (T5) resulted in highest plant height (29.17 cm), girth (1.10mm), shoot extension growth (45.25cm) and tree spread (14.23 cm) which was at par with treatment T4. Maximum fruit length (6.71cm), diameter (5.57cm), fruit weight (88.41g) and total yield per plant were recorded in the treatment T5 (Urea @1.0% + Agromin 0.5%) followed by the treatments T3(Urea @0.5% + Agromin @ 0.25%) and T1 (Urea 0.5%). The highest benefit: cost ratio (2.80) was obtained in the treatment T5 (Urea 1.0% + Agromin 0.25%). The lowest B: C ratio (2.45) was observed in Control due to the lowest number of large and medium grade fruits.