Ecology, Environment and Conservation Paper

Vol 28, Issue 2, 2022; Page No.(863-868)

SPLIT APPLICATION OF GA3: EFFECTIVE TO IMPROVE GROWTH, YIELD AND QUALITY OF CAPE GOOSEBERRY (PHYSALIS PERUVIANA L.)

Madhvendra Bahadur Singh, Pawan Kumar, Manoj Kundu, Sanjay Sahay and Vivek Kumar

Abstract

The current research work was conducted during 2019-20 in the Department of Horticulture (Fruit and Fruit Tech.), BAC, Sabour to standardize the optimum concentration of GA3 for split application to improve the growth, yield and fruit quality attributes of cape gooseberry. From the investigation, it was observed that the vegetative and physiological growth in terms of leaf length and breadth was increased significantly by 75-100 ppm GA3 application at vegetative stage only. However, the ratio of chlorophyll a:b of the experimental cape gooseberry plants had improved significantly by three repeated application of GA3 @ 25-100 ppm each during vegetative, anthesis and fruit setting stage together. The reproductive growth with respect to precocity in flowering after bud break was obtained in 50-100 ppm GA3 spray either at anthesis or fruit setting stage; however three repeated application of GA3 @ 25-100 ppm delayed the flowering significantly after bud break. On the other hand, highest yield acre-1 was recorded in three repeated application of GA3 @ 50-100 ppm each during vegetative, anthesis and fruit setting stage together (12.06- 12.80 t acre-1). The quality attributes of ripped cape gooseberry fruit in terms of sugar: acid ratio was also improved significantly in three repeated application of GA3 @ 25-100 ppm each during vegetative, anthesis and fruit setting stage together (15.63-16.90). Hence, it can be concluded that the application of GA3 @ 50 ppm each at vegetative, flowering and again at fruit setting stage is optimum for improving the yield of better quality cape gooseberry fruit significantly.