Effect of Integrated Nutrient Management on Physical Characteristics of Guava (Psidium guajava) cv. Allahabad Safeda under Meadow Orcharding

Abstract

The present study was carried out in the years 2022, at Central Research Farm, Department of Horticulture, Sam Higginbottom Institute of Agriculture & Sciences, Prayagraj (U.P.). Twenty treatments made up the experiment with : (T0) Control, (T1) 100% NPK (650:325:375g plant-1), (T2) 100% NPK (650:325:375g plant-1)+FYM 13.2kg plant-1+VC 9.9kg plant-1+PM 3.3 kg plant-1, (T3) 60% NPK (390:195:225g plant-1)+ FYM 16 kg plant-1, (T4) 60% NPK (390:195:225g plant-1)+ VC 12 kg plant-1, (T5) 60% NPK (390:195:225g plant-1)+ PM 4  kg plant-1, (T6) 40% NPK (260:130:150g plant-1)+ FYM 12  kg plant-1+VC 9 kg plant-1, (T7) 40% NPK (260:130:150g plant-1)+ FYM 12  kg plant-1+PM 4 kg plant-1, (T8) 40% NPK (260:130:150g plant-1)+ PM 3  kg plant-1+VC 9 kg plant-1, (T9) 25% NPK (162.5:81.25:93.75)+FYM 10 kg plant-1+PM 2.5kg plant-1+VC 7.5 kg plant-1, (T10) Aztobacter 250g plant-1, (T11) Aztobacter 250g plant-1 +100% NPK (650:325:375g plant-1), (T12) Aztobacter 250g plant-1+100% NPK (650:325:375g plant-1)+FYM 13.2kg plant-1+VC 9.9kg plant-1+PM 3.3 kg plant-1, (T13) Aztobacter 250g plant-1 +60% NPK (390:195:225g plant-1)+ FYM 16 kg plant-1, (T14) Aztobacter 250g plant-1 +60% NPK (390:195:225g plant-1)+ VC 12 kg plant-1, (T15) Aztobacter 250g plant-1+60% NPK (390:195:225g plant-1)+ PM 4  kg plant-1, (T16) Aztobacter 250g plant-1 +40% NPK (260:130:150g plant-1)+ FYM 12  kg plant-1+VC 9 kg plant-1, (T17) Aztobacter 250g plant-1 +40% NPK (260:130:150g plant-1)+ FYM 12  kg plant-1+PM 4 kg plant-1, (T18) Aztobacter 250g plant-1 +40% NPK (260:130:150g plant-1)+ PM 3  kg plant-1+VC 9 kg plant-1, (T19) Aztobacter 250g plant-1+25% NPK (162.5:81.25:93.75)+FYM 10 kg plant-1+PM 2.5kg plant-1+VC 7.5 kg plant-1. These treatments were evaluated in Randomized Blocked Design with three replications. The results showed that a combination of different nutrients had a significant impact on the guava plant's growth and yield parameters, including minimum days required for flowering (24.16), from flower to fruit set (19.31), from fruit set to maturity (99.15), and fruits  per plant (246.14), fruit weight (g) (144.74), fruit setting (%) (96.01), pulp weight (g) (136.03), total soluble solid (0Brix) (9.52), Ascorbic acid  (mg / 100 g)  (206.88), minimum  acidity (0.41)were all found to be best under the treatment (T14) Aztobacter 250g plant-1 +60% NPK (390:195:225g plant-1)+ VC 12 kg plant-1, whereas acidity (0.80%) was at its highest in T0 Control.