Effect of Time and Intensity of Shoot Pruning on Fruit Size, Yield And Quality of Guava (Psidium Guajava L.) Under Western U.p.

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 with two seasons (Mid-Feb, Mid-May) and pruning intensities i.e. control (0 percent), 20 percent, 30 percent, 50 percent. Quality parameters were also analyzed. The experiment was laid out in Factorial Randomized Block Design (FRBD) and the number of treatment was 8 and each replicated 4 times. Each treatment consists of one plant. Total 32 plants were selected for study. The plants were planted at spacing of 3 m x 3 m. The observation were recorded on number of flower per tree, length of sprouted shoot (cm), height of tree (m), number of fruit per shoot, number of fruit per tree, fruit weight (gm), fruit length (cm), fruit volume (ml), fruit yield (kg/plant), fruit yield (q/ha), tss (0Brix), reducing sugars (%), non-reducing sugar (%), total sugars (%), acidity (%). 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 Feb with 50 percent of pruning intensity. The maximum height of tree (3.87 m), number of fruit per tree (149.36), 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), number of fruit per shoot (8.00), tss (19.17 0Brix), 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 percent of pruning intensity. The minimum are found in control (no pruning). In, general, the pruning of guava trees in the second week of May with 50 percent pruning intensity level was found beneficial for enhancing fruit size, yield and quality of guava.