Effect of Plant Growth Regulator and Micronutrient on Growth, Flowering, and Physical Quality Parameters of Litchi (Litchi chinensis Sonn.) cv. Dehradun

Abstract

The experiment was carried out at Horticulture Garden, Department of Fruit Science, Chandra Shekhar Azad University of Agriculture & Technology, Kanpur (U.P.) during two subsequent years i.e., 2020 and 2021. Sixteen treatments viz., four levels of GA (0, 20, 40 and 60 ppm) and Zn (0, 0.3, 0.5 and 0.7%) were studied in a Factorial Completely Randomized Design with three replications. Spraying was done twice i.e., before flowering (07 Feb.) and at pea stage (05 April) during both the years. Application of GA  60 ppm and Zinc 0.7% increases length of new shoot (24.41 and 24.44 cm), number of leaves per shoot (23.55 and 24.06), length of panicle (34.89 and 35.96 cm), number of fruit per panicle (21.11 and 22.19), length of fruit (4.21 and 4.30 cm), diameter of fruit (4.22 and 4.29 cm), fruit weight (20.22 and 21.16 g), weight of pulp (13.69 and 13.70 g), and pulp stone ratio (4.65 and 4.62) in both respective years and reduced days required to flowering after first spray (22.13 and 21.30) days, length of seed (2.16 and 2.14 cm), diameter of seed (1.32 and 1.30 cm), weight of seed (3.20 and 3.17 g) and rind weight (2.54 and 2.52 g). We suggest that the foliar application of GA (60ppm) and Zn (0.7%) may be included in strawberry farming for profitable yields and high GA and Zn concentration in strawberry fruit in the plains of Northern India.