Effect of paclobutrazol on floral bud initiation, flowering and fruit set of jamun (Syzygium cuminii Skeels.)

Abstract

Jamun (Syzygium cuminii Skeels.) is an important under exploited fruit tree of rich nutritive and medicinal (antidiabetic) properties. Its increasing market demand for commercial exploitation stimulates the off season concept by paclobutrazol application, added a major advantage to increase jamun fruit production. Field experiment was carried out in nine years old bearing trees of jamun to study the flowering response during 2017-18. The selected trees were drenched with paclobutrazol application during 1st week of October, 2017. The experiment results revealed least tree height (5.18m), twelve days earlier floral bud induction, days taken for flowering to harvest (97.66 days), higher fruit set per cent (56.68 per cent) and yield (69.58 kg/tree) were advanced by pruning of 25% terminal shoots with paclobutrazol (1.0 g a.i. m-1 of canopy diameter) treated trees compare to untreated trees. It is evident that the paclobutrazol treatment influenced early flowering and advanced the jamun fruit harvest which putforth economic value for farming community.