Effect of Spacing and Plant Growth Regulators on Organoleptic Quality of Strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa Duch) cv. Winter Dawn

Abstract

Sensory quality encompasses the various characteristics of a product that add value for both buyers and consumers. Consumers prefer fruits that are visually appealing, firm and have good flavour and nutritional value. On the other hand, producers and handlers prioritize the appearance and texture of the fruit as well as its ability to maintain quality of the fruits. The experiment was conducted at the College of Agriculture, Ummedganj Kota, Rajasthan over two growing seasons (2021-22 and 2022-23) to assess the effects of spacing and plant growth regulators on the organoleptic quality of strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.) cv. Winter Dawn. The hedonic sensory evaluation rating for organoleptic tests indicated that maximum score for colour (7.41), flavour (7.58), taste (7.77) and general appearance (7.84) was recorded under S2 (30 cm ×30 cm). In terms of plant growth regulators (PGRs), maximum effect on organoleptic quality for colour (8.85), flavour (8.72), taste (8.65) and general appearance (8.49) was recorded under treatment treated with SA at 100 ppm. Moreover, in interaction effect treatment combination of S2+SA100 ppm (30 cm ×30 cm + Salicylic acid at 100 ppm) obtained a higher and more favourable score of colour (8.87), flavour (8.74), taste (8.86) and general appearance (8.65), respectively. It can be concluded that a plant spacing of 30 cm × 30 cm combined with a 100 ppm Salicylic acid treatment produces optimal results in terms of sensory quality parameters.