Effect of foliar application of nutrients on growth, flowering and yield of cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) under hill zone of Karnataka

Abstract

A field experiment on “Effect of foliar application of nutrients on growth, flowering and yield attributes of cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) under hill zone of Karnataka” was carried out during 2024-25 at Zonal Agricultural and Horticultural Station, Mudigere, Chikkamagaluru. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Complete Block Design comprising of seven treatments with three replications. Results revealed that trees treated with foliar application of 19:19:19 (1.5%) + MgSO4 (0.5%) + ZnSO4 (0.5%) + FeSO4 (0.5%) + Borax (0.3%) along with RDF recorded maximum incremental increase in plant height (0.39 m), leaf length (29.50 cm), leaf width (12.90 cm), leaf area (254.18 cm2), chlorophyll a (1.18 mg/g), chlorophyll b (0.71 mg/g), total chlorophyll content (1.78 mg/g), total leaf carotenoids (0.92 mg/g). The same treatment resulted highest total number of flower cushions/tree (189.60), number of flowers/cushions (7.82), number of cherelles/tree (62.86), percentage of fruit set (4.24), number of pods harvested per tree per season (31.31), pod value (10.4), pod length of (17.19 cm), pod girth (26.68 cm), pod weight (382.14 gm), number of beans per pod (42.53), single wet bean weight (2.48 g), wet bean weight per pod (98.40 g), single dry bean weight (1.11 g), dry bean weight per pod (47.20 g), dry bean yield per tree (1477.83 g) and estimated dry bean yield per hectare (546.79 kg ha-1). Whereas, minimum values was recorded in control (T1).