Effect of plant growth regulators on yield and quality of guava (Psidium guajava L.) cv. Allahabad safeda
Keywords:
growth, Chemical, KarnatakaAbstract
Guava (Psidium guajava L.) is one of the most important and extensively cultivated tropical crop of India. It is good source of vitamin-C, pectin, also contains fair amount of calcium and widely used for making of jelly. The ascorbic acid content of guava is four-five times higher than the citrus fruit. It is hardy fruit which can be grown in alkaline and poorly drained soil. Important guava growing states in the country are Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Gujrat, Punjab, Assam, Karnataka, Orissa, Kerala and Rajasthan. Allahabad district of Uttar Pradesh has the reputation of growing the best quality of guava fruits in the world (Mitra and Bose, 1990).The three times flowering seasons have been observed in North Indian conditions while two flowering seasons have been reported in the climatic condition of Assam. This fruit crop has immense potential in increasing productivity and yield sustainability in Assam. In Assam, guava occupies 4.522 thousand hectare of area and it produces 87.195 MT of guava with 19282 kg per hectare of productivity (Anon., 2009).The plant growth regulators play very important role in flower induction in many plants. The process of pollination and fertilization induces production of growth regulators in the ovary, the ovary enlarge and fruit development is initiated. However, good fruit set is prevented by adverse weather which hinders pollen production, pollination and fertilization and also low level of auxin. The auxin from the pollen grain and pollen tube might be responsible for the early stage of fruit growth. However, small amount of pollen necessary to pollinate a flower may not carry enough auxin to account for early fruit development. The growing pollen tube may secrete auxin which helps in fruit growth (Muir, 1942). Exogenous application of plant growth regulators (PGRs) not only increases the number of flower but also increases the quality of fruit and retention capacity of on the tree till maturity and reduces fruit drop.
Downloads
References
A.O.A.C. 1975. Official Method of Analysis. Published by Agricultural Chemists. Washington, D.C.
Anonymous. 2009. NEDFi Databank, Directorate of Horticulture and F. A., Govt. of Assam. Available at: http://databank.nedfi.com.
Coombe, B.G. 1960. Relationship of growth and development to changes in sugars, auxins, and gibberellin in fruit of seeded and seedless varieties of Vitis. Plant Physiol., 35: 241-250.
Freed, M. 1966. Method of Vitamin Assay. The Chemist, Inter Science Publishers, New York, 3rd ed., p. 287.
Kumar, P. and Singh, S. 1993. Effect of GA and Ethrel on ripening and quality of mango cv. Taimour Amrapali. The Hort. J., 6 (1): 19-24.
Kumar, S.P., Singh, C., Verma, A.K., and Jain, B.P. 1998. Effect of potassium, nitrogen, and gibberellic acid on yield attributes of guava (Psidium guajava L.). Journal of Research, Birsa Agri. Univ., 10: 52-55.
Lane, J.H. and Eynon, L. 1923. Determination of reducing sugar by means of Fehling solution with methylene blue as internal indicator. J. Soc. Chem. Industry., 13: 32-37.
Mitra, S.K. and Bose, T.K. 1990. Guava. In: Fruits Tropical and Sub-tropical (Eds. T.K. Bose and S.K. Mitra), Naya Prokash, Calcutta, pp. 278-303.
Muir, R.M. 1942. Growth hormone as related to the setting and development of fruit in Nicotiana tabacum. Am. J. Bot., 29: 716-720.
Shawky, I., Zidan, Z., Thomi, A.El., and Dashan, D. 1978. Effect of GA3 sprays on lime of litchi. Ind. J. Hort., 47(3): 305-308.
Shikhamany, S.D. and Reddy, N.N. 1989. Effect of growth retardants on growth, yield, and quality in grape cv. Thompson Seedless. Ind. J. Hort., 46 (1): 31-37.
Singh, I.P., Singh, B.P., and Singh, S.P. 1986. Effect of 2, 4-D and GA on fruit drop and fruit quality of mango (Mangifera indica L.) cv. Samar Bahist Chausa. Haryana J. Hort. Sci., 15(1-2): 29-32.
