Effect of Foliar Application of Nutrients on Growth, Yield and Fruit Quality of Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) Cv. Bhagwa

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted to study the effect of foliar application of nutrients on growth, yield and fruit quality of pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) cv. Bhagwa in the experimental farm of the Horticultural Research and Training Station and Krishi Vigyan Kendra Kandaghat, Solan, Dr YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry Nauni, Solan, Himachal Pradesh (India), during the year 2016 - 2017. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Block Design (RBD) with four foliar applications of potassium nitrate, KNO3 (0.5%, 1% and 1.5%); calcium chloride, CaCl2 (0.5%, 1% and 1.5%); boric acid, H3BO3 (0.2%, 0.4% and 0.6%) and their combinations. The first spray was applied one month after fruit set, and the remaining three ones were applied at one month interval. Among the various treatments, significant increase in plant height, plant spread, plant volume, fruit size, fruit weight, fruit yield, total soluble solids, total sugars, reduction in fruit drop and fruit cracking were recorded with the application of KNO3 (1%) + CaCl2 (1%) + H3BO3 (0.4%).  Leaf N, P, K, Ca and Mg were also significantly affected by the foliar application of KNO3 (1%) + CaCl2 (1%) + H3BO3 (0.4%). Therefore, the combined foliar application of KNO3 (1%), CaCl2 (1%) and H3BO3 (0.4%) was found the best treatment for the improvement of growth, yield and fruit quality of pomegranate.