Effect of time and intensity of shoot pruning on fruit size, yield and quality of guava (Psidium guajava L.) under western U.P. conditions

Abstract

The present study was conducted during 2019-2020 at Horticultural Research Centre, of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel University of Agriculture & Technology, Modipuram, Meerut. Experiment was conducted in two seasons (Mid-Feb, Mid-May) of each year with following treatments of pruning intensities i.e. 0% (control), 20%, 30%, 50%. For this experiment the Shweta cultivar was selected. The quality parameters were analyzed to determine the effect of pruning intensity and time of pruning on fruit size, yield and quality of guava. The results revealed that maximum number of flower per tree (302.42), length of sprouted shoot (57.65 cm) are found in second week of February with 50% of pruning intensity. The maximum height of tree (3.87 m), number of fruit per tree (149.36), number of fruit per shoot (8.00), fruit weight (205.00 gm), fruit length (13.01 cm), fruit volume (256.95 ml), fruit yield (30.56 kg/plant), fruit yield (339.55 q/ha), TSS (19.170 Brix), reducing sugars (5.53%), non-reducing sugar (2.32%), total sugars (7.85%), titrable acidity (0.25%) are found in second week of May with 50% of pruning intensity. The minimum are found in control (no pruning). In, general, the pruning of guava trees in the 2nd week of May with 50% pruning intensity level was found beneficial for enhancing fruit size, yield and quality of guava.