Effect of pruning and plant growth regulators on quality of guava cv. Bihi

Abstract

An experiment was conducted to study the effect of pruning and plant growth regulators on quality of guava at RHRS, ACH, NAU, Navsari during the year 2022-23 and 2023-24. The experiment was laid out in Completely Randomized Design with Factorial concept (FCRD) which comprising three different pruning levels viz., P1: No pruning, P2: 30 cm of past season growth and P3: 60 cm of past season growth which was done in September and foliar application of plant growth regulators namely, G1: Control, G2: GA3 50 mgl-1, G3: GA3 100 mgl-1, G4: NAA 50 mgl-1, G5: NAA 100 mgl-1, G6: SA 50 mgl-1 and G7: SA 100 mgl-1 which was done immediately after pruning and 45 days after pruning. The individual effects of pruning and foliar application of plant growth regulators treatments immediately after pruning and 45 days after pruning as well as their interactions on quality of guava was recorded. Results revealed that the pruning at 30 cm of past season growth gave maximum TSS (°Brix), ascorbic acid (mg/100 g), total sugars (%), reducing sugar (%), non-reducing sugar (%), shelf life (days) and minimum acidity (%) While, foliar spray of GA3 @100 mgl-1 gave maximum TSS (°Brix), ascorbic acid (mg/100 g), total sugars (%), reducing sugar (%), non-reducing sugar (%), shelf life (days) and minimum acidity (%). Interaction effect of pruning levels and foliar spray of plant growth regulators found significant for TSS (°Brix), total sugars (%), reducing sugar (%), non-reducing sugar (%) and minimum acidity (%) of guava during the period of investigation, which were the maximum when guava plants pruned at 30 cm of past season growth and foliar application of GA3 @100 mgl-1.