Effects of Levels of N: P: K on Yield and Quality of Guava (Psidium guajava L.) under Meadow Orchard System

Abstract

A field experiment was carried out at central research field, Department of horticulture, Naini Agricultural Institute (NAI) SHUATS, Prayagraj, U.P. India during 2022 session. The experiment was conducted to study the different levels of N: P: K on yield and fruit quality of guava to find out the optimum dose of N: P: K for guava trees under meadow orchard system. The experiment was conducted on eight years old Allahabad safeda guava trees planted at 2x1 m spacing. There were eight treatments of different levels of NPK viz. (T0) control, (T1,) 100:50:50 g NPK/tree, (T2) 150:75:75 g NPK/tree, (T3) 200:100:100 g NPK/tree, (T4) 250:125:125 g NPK/tree, (T5) 300:150:150 g NPK/tree (T6 )350:175:175 g NPK/tree, (T7) 400:200:200 g NPK/tree. The experiment was arranged in a randomized complete block design with three replicates and each replicate was represented by one tree. All the cultural operation were carried out as per recommendations. The observation on yield and fruit quality aspects of guava cultivation under different treatments were recorded, analyzed and presented. The results of this experiment indicated that, different levels of N: P: K has shown different response to yield and fruit quality. The application of N: P: K @400:200:200 g NPK/tree (T7) produced superior yield of guava in terms of fruit volume (165.56cm3), fruit weight (61.53g), fruit diameter (6.72cm), number of fruits per branch (21.26), number of fruits per plants (322.15) and fruit yield per plant (55.30kg). The fruit quality with application of N: P: K @400:200:200 g NPK/tree (T7) was also superior in terms of TSS (12.17obrix), Total sugar (8.84%), ascorbic acid (167.86 mg) and minimum acidity (0.205%). Hence it can be concluded that, for guava trees grown under meadow orchard system at 2x1 m spacing the dose of application of N: P: K @ 400:200:200 g/tree was found optimum for getting higher yield and superior fruit quality of guava. Further the treatment of application of N: P: K @ (T6) 300:175:175 g/tree produced at par result for most of the parameters under the study of this experiment indicate the scope of increasing the fertilizer dose as per the age of the trees.