Varietal Evaluation of Ber (Zizyphus mauritiana Lamk.) for Yield and Fruits Quality Attributes under Bundelkhand Region of Uttar Pradesh, India

Abstract

The experiment was conducted at Instruction farm, College of Horticulture, Banda University of Agriculture and Technology, Banda (U.P.) during the year 2021-2022. The trail consisting of ten treatments (T1 -Thai Ber, T2 -Umran, T3 -Banarasi Karaka, T4 -Seb, T5 -Gola, T6 -Chhuhara, T7 -Kaithali, T8 -Mundia, T9 -Elaichi and T10 –Rashmi). The variability was recorded in fruit shape (ovate oblong, oblong, ovate and round), fruit colour (green, yellow green, golden yellow and green) and pulp colour (creamy white and creamy). The yield attributes variability was observed in fruit   length (3.40-5.72 cm), fruit width (2.13-4.20 cm), fruit weight (20.27-48.33 g), fruit volume (21.21-49.25 cc), stone length (1.59-2.80 cm), stone width (0.86-2.07 cm), stone weight (1.41-2.83 g), pulp weight (16.22-44.24 g), pulp and stone ratio (11.31-15.61) and specific gravity (0.95-0.98). The quality attributes parameter also showed wide range of variation in chemical properties i.e., TSS (10.61-16.62 0Brix), ascorbic acid (80.5-115.33 mg/100g), reducing sugars (4.05-7.11 %), non-reducing sugars (3.90-4.75 %), total sugars (7.95-11.86 %), acidity (0.32-0.75 %), protein (0.40-0.70 %) and pH (3.0-5.0). Therefore, on the basis of quality attribute among the different evaluation; the variety T7 (Kaithali), T2 (Umran) and T3 (Banarasi Karaka) found to be superior. These promising varieties can be recommended for commercial cultivation at farmer’s field.