Effect of Pre-harvest Nutrient Application and Bagging with Different Colours of Polythene on Quality of Rainy Season Guava (Psidium guajava Linn.) cv. Allahabad Safeda

Abstract

An investigation was conducted at Horticulture Research Farm, Department of Horticulture, Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology and Sciences, Prayagraj during 2021-22 and 2022-23. The experiment consisted of sixteen treatments viz T0- Control, T1- Ca(NO3)2 (2%), T2- K2SO4 (2%), T3- Ca(NO3)2 (2%) + K2SO4 (2%), T4- Ca(NO3)2 (2%) + Bagging (Red colour polythene), T5- Ca(NO3)2 (2%) + Bagging (Green colour polythene). T6- Ca(NO3)2 (2%) + Bagging (Yellow colour polythene), T7- Ca(NO3)2 (2%) + Bagging (Silver colour polythene), T8- K2SO4 (2%) + Bagging (Red colour polythene), T9- K2SO4 (2%) + Bagging (Green colour polythene), T10- K2SO4 (2%) + Bagging (Yellow colour polythene), T11- K2SO4 2% + Bagging (Silver colour polythene), T12- Ca(NO3)2 (2%) + K2SO4 (2%) + Bagging (Red colour polythene), T13- Ca(NO3)2 (2%) + K2SO4 (2%) + Bagging (Green colour polythene), T14- Ca(NO3)2 (2%) + K2SO4 (2%) + Bagging (Yellow colour polythene), T15- Ca(NO3)2 (2%) + K2SO4 (2%) + Bagging (Silver colour polythene) which were arranged in Randomized Block Design (RBD) with three replications. The foliar application of nutrients was done twice at ten days interval. The foliar application of nutrients was done twice at ten days interval days before Fifty-five days harvesting whereas Bagging of fruits was employed approximately at 30 days before harvesting of fruits using red, yellow, silver and green colours polythene bags. Analysis of the data indicated that treatment T14- Ca(NO3)2 (2%) + K2SO4 (2%) + Bagging (Yellow colour polythene) reported to be best for parameters namely Average fruit weight (163.88), Fruit width (cm) (8.37), Fruit length (cm) (6.17),Volume of fruits (cm3) (172.03) Yield/plant (kg) (5.49), Insect damage fruits (%) (0.68), Organoleptic quality (9.78).