Effect of severity of Pruning and integrated nutrient management on growth and yield custard apple

Abstract

An experiment entitled “Effect of severity of pruning and integrated nutrient management on growth and yield of custard apple” was carried out during the year 2020-21 at Shivar Block, Central Research station, Akola. An experiment was laid out in a factorized randomized block design (FRBD) with nine treatment combinations and three replications comprising of three pruning intensities viz., 20 cm, 15 cm, control and three application of INM viz., I1 - 75% RDF(194 g : 94 g : 94 g NPK/plant) +100g AM +100g Azotobacter +100 g PSB + 0.50 Kg neem cake at onset of monsoon, I2 - Half N (97 g) +Full P&K (94 g: 94 g) + 100 g AM +100 g Azotobacter + 100 g PSB + 0.50 Kg neem cake - Ist Application.1/4 N(48g) - IInd Application and 1/4 N(48g) - IIIrd Application respectively, at one month interval and control. Amongst the combinations of pruning and integrated nutrient management, the combined application of 20 cm pruning + Half N(97g) +Full P&K(94g:94g)+100g AM +100g Azotobacter +100g PSB +0.50Kg neem cake - Ist Application, 1/4 N(48g) -IInd Application, 1/4 N(48g) - IIIrd Application showed the better performance in terms of plant height, Number of shoots per plant, Spread, Canopy of plant, leaf area, Yield, Stony fruit %, Average weight of fruit, Fruit Volume, Fruit to Pulp Ratio, pulp %, fruit set %, Number of different grade fruit, total soluble solids, T.S.S and acidity ratio, total sugar, reducing sugar in custard apple cv. Balanagar.In overall study of present investigation, it was observed that that for getting the quality fruit yield of custard apple pruned the custard apple plant at 20 cm from the tip in the month of April and apply Half N(97g) + Full P and K(94g:94g)+100g AM +100g Azotobacter + 100g PSB +0.50Kg neem cake as Ist application in the month of June, 1/4 N(48g) -IInd application in the month of July and 1/4 N(48g) - IIIrd application in the Month of August.