Effect of foliar application of micronutrients on lemon (Citrus limon Burm.) cv. Pant Lemon - 1 under western Uttar Pradesh conditions

Abstract

Thesis title: Effect of foliar application of micronutrients on lemon (Citrus limon Burm.) cv. Pant Lemon- 1 under western Uttar Pradesh conditions The present investigation was carried out at Horticultural Research Centre, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel University of Agriculture and Technology, Modipuram, Meerut to study the “Effect of foliar application of micronutrients on lemon (Citrus limon Burm.) cv. Pant Lemon- 1 under western Uttar Pradesh conditions”. The experiment was conducted in a Randomized Block Design with 12 treatments viz T1- Control, T2 – ZnSO4 (0.2%), T3 - ZnSO4 (0.5%), T4 – Borax (0.2%) T5 – Borax (0.4%) T6 – CuSO4 (0.2%), T7 - CuSO4 (0.5%) T8 - ZnSO4 (0.5%) + Borax (0.4%) T9- ZnSO4 + CuSO4 T10 - Borax + CuSO4 T11 - ZnSO4 + Borax + CuSO4 (0.2% each), T12 - ZnSO4 (0.5%) + Borax (0.4%) + CuSO4 (0.5%) and 3 replications, during 2022. Treatments were applied by foliar spray twice, one before flowering and second during fruit set stage in the month of June and July. Different parameters i.e., days to first flower emergence, days to 50% flowering, number of flowers clusters per plant, number of flower per cluster, flowering intensity, physical characters of fruits, days to first fruit initiation, fruit length (cm), fruit breadth (cm), fruit weight (g), fruit length : breadth ratio, fruit volume (ml), number of seed per fruit, specific gravity, peel thickness, fruit set (%), fruit drop (%), number of fruits per tree, yield per hectare (tonnes), cost benefit ratio were recorded during the experimental period. There was significant effect of foliar application of zinc, boron and copper on flowering parameters, physical traits of fruits, yield and economic feasibility of lemon cv. Pant Lemon – 1. This study revealed that in case of flowering parameters plants sprayed with ZnSO4 + Borax + CuSO4 (0.2% each) gave earliest days to flower emergence, 50 % flowering and fruit initiation and maximum no. of flower per cluster. However, highest number of flower clusters were obtained by spraying zinc (0.5%), boron (0.4%) and copper (0.5%). In case of physical traits of fruits highest fruit length, breadth, volume was recorded in plants sprayed with ZnSO4 + Borax + CuSO4 (0.2% each). However highest fruit weight was obtained in plants sprayed with zinc (0.5%), boron (0.4%) and copper (0.5%). Highest fruit set %, fruit drop %, optimum yield and maximum benefit cost ratio was obtained by spraying combination of zinc (0.5%), boron (0.4%) and copper (0.5%). It can be concluded that foliar spray of zinc sulphate (0.5%), borax (0.4%) and copper sulphate (0.5%) performed best when applied twice in the month of June and July under western Uttar Pradesh conditions.