Effect of Bio-stimulants on Improving Floral Characteristics, Yield and Quality of Apple cv. Red Delicious

Abstract

The Effect of bio-stimulants on improving floral characteristics, yield and quality of apple cv. Red Delicious was studied in the Division of Fruit Science, SKUAST-Kashmir, Shalimar, Srinagar during the year 2013 and 2014. Twenty five year old apple trees of cv. Red Delicious were selected at the Sher-e-Kashmir university of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Shalimar, Kashmir. The soluble boron of solubor (0.1%) and bio-stimulants of Biozyme (1.5 ml/lt) and triacontanol (10 ppm) and their combinations were sprayed at three timings: (i) At pink bud stage (ii) three weeks after fruit set of apple (iii) two months after second spray. Two months after second spray, solubor was replaced with 0.5% CaCl2.The results revealed that combination of solubor + biozyme + triacontanol and solubor + biozyme was more effective to improve floral and yield characteristics with fruit set (74.71 and 69.50%) and yield (97.75 and 92.70 kg/trees) Fruits were harvested and analysed for their physico-chemical characteristics. Foliar application of solubor + biozyme + triaconatanol and biozyme + triacontanol improved fruit color, size, weight, volume, firmness and TSS, sugars while acidity declined in all treatments at various stages.