Effect of Certain Nutrients on Fruit Set, Fruit Retention, Physical Characters and Yield of Ber Fruit (Zizyphus mauritiana Lamk). cv. Banarasi Karaka

Abstract

The present investigation was undertaken on the effect of certain nutrients on fruit setting, fruit retention, physical characters and yield of ber fruit (Zizyphus mauritiana Lamk). c.v. Banarasi Karaka at main experiment station, Department of Horticulture, Narendra Deva University of Agriculture and Technology Kumarganj, Faizabad (U.P.) during the years 2008–2009. Plants received uniform cultural operations throughout the experimental period. Treatments included control, Ferrous sulphate (FeSO₄) @ 0.3%, Ferrous sulphate  @ 0.6%, Potassium sulphate (K₂SO₄) @ 1.0%, Potassium sulphate @ 2.0%, borax (Na₂B₄O₇ 10H₂O ) @ 0.5%, borax @ 1.0%,  (FeSO₄ @ 0.3%+K₂SO₄ @ 1.0%+borax @ 0.5%,  (FeSO₄ @ 0.6%+K₂SO₄ @ 2.0%+borax @ 1.0%.  The nutrients were sprayed as aqueous solutions using Tween-20 as a surfactant. First spray was done in month of September just before flowering and second spray was done after fruit setting. The results were found that the foliar spray of FeSO₄ @ 0.6%, along with K₂SO₄ @ 2%, and borax @ 1.0%, proved most effective in recording maximum initial fruit setting, fruit retention, minimum fruit drop, and maximum length and breath, stone weight of fruit, pulp stone ratio and weight of fruit which contributed to maximum yield. The better  fruit quality parameters viz.  % of  TSS, sugar, ascorbic acid, lowest acidity was also recorded with the application of the same treatment.