Study on the vegetative propagation of guava (Psidium guajava L.) Through air and stool layering” Mr

ABSTRACT
The present investigation entitled “Studies on fruit growth and development and standardization of maturity indices in different sapota (Manilkara achras (Mill.) Fosberg) cultivars” was carried out during 2012-2013 at Horticultural Research Station, Venkataramannagudem, West Godavari district, Andhra Pradesh, with the objective of understanding the pattern of growth and development, physical and biochemical changes that occur during growth and development of fruit and to standardize the maturity indices for best time of harvest for different cultivars of sapota.The present experiment was undertaken with different cultivars of sapota viz., PKM-1, PKM-3, DHS-1, DHS-2, Pala, Kalipatti, Cricket Ball, Singapore, Kirthibarthi and Virudhnagar in a Factorial Randomized Block Design (FRBD) with three replications.

The study revealed significant differences among the varieties for different fruit characters studied. Fruit length, width, weight, pulp weight, volume and seed weight increased in all sapota cultivars from fruit set till maturity at all stages of growth and development. Maximum fruit size, weight, pulp weight, volume, number of seeds and seed weight was recorded in the variety Cricket Ball followed by PKM-3.

Firmness of fruit was out of fruit pressure tester up to 120^th day in all the varieties. The value of fruit firmness was high during initial stages of fruit growth and decreased gradually with increase of fruit maturity. At maturity the fruit texture was smooth and flesh colour beneath the skin was yellow in all the varieties. The flesh colour of fruit was reddish brown in case of PKM-3 and Cricket Ball, while it was yellowish brown in the remaining varieties. Latex flow and spined stigma were absent at maturity in all the varieties. The variety DHS-2 recorded the maximum number of days to attain harvestable maturity followed by cv. Cricket Ball.

The biochemical changes in fruit viz., TSS, TSS: acid ratio, total sugars, reducing sugars, non-reducing sugars increased continuously in all sapota cultivars from fruit set till maturity and titrable acidity exhibited decreasing trend throughout the development but ascorbic acid content had an initial increase up to 180 days and thereafter decreased continuously during development and declined on maturity. Among the different varieties, TSS, reducing sugars and total sugars were high in the cultivar Kalipatti followed by Pala, PKM-3 and Virudhnagar over the other varieties during growth and ripening stages .

The results suggest that in sapota fruits, it is not possible to decide the optimum stage of harvesting based on a single physical character. The stage of harvest could be recognized by considering both the physical and biochemical characters. The number of days taken for optimum maturity in PKM-1, Pala, Singapore and Virudhnagar was 225 days. Kalipatti required 240 days, DHS-1and Kirthibarti took 240- 255 days, while PKM-3, DHS-2 and Cricket Ball took 255 – 270 days. The fruits harvested at optimum stage of maturity ripened properly and they possessed maximum TSS, reducing sugars, low acidity, good texture, fruit and flesh colour and organoleptic score was high.

A combination of different methods of assessing maturity is therefore recommended to establish appropriate stage of harvest for different sapota varieties. From the present investigation, it is clear that the optimum stage of harvest could be recognized by considering the physical characters (size, weight, skin colour, latex flow, spine stigma, texture and days to harvest), biochemical characters (TSS, total sugars, reducing sugars and organoleptic scoring) and days taken from fruit set can be employed as criteria for assessing the harvest stage in different varieties of sapota studied.

178) “Effect of N, P & K on growth, yield and quality of guava (Psidium guajava L.) cultivars under meadow system of planting” – N.Thirupathi.

ABSTRACT

Studies on “Effect of N, P & K on growth, yield and quality of guava (Psidium guajava L.) cultivars under meadow system of planting” were carried out during the period from July, 2013 to January, 2014 at Fruit Research Station (FRS), Sangareddy, Medak district, Dr.YSRHU, A.P. with an objective of studying the effect of varieties and fertilizer levels on growth, yield and fruit quality of guava cultivars under meadow system planting.

Studies were conducted on the effect of two varieties i.e. Allahabad Safeda and Lalit and also effect of different fertilizer levels i.e. 65:30:30 g, 100:45:45 g, 135:60:60 g, 170:75:75 g and 205:90:90 g per plant on growth, yield and fruit quality of guava (Psidium guajava L.) cultivars with 10 treatments replicated four times in RBD with factorial concept.

Among the two varieties studied, Lalit responded well to different fertilizer doses when compared to Allahabad Safeda. Lalit recorded maximum plant height, stem girth, plant spread at east-west and north-south direction, total number of flowers per shoot, number of fruits per plant, average fruit weight, fruit volume, total soluble solids and ascorbic acid. Allahabad Safeda recorded maximum fruit set and minimum number of days taken for harvesting from flowering in meadow system of planting.

Among the different fertilizer levels (65:30:30, 100:45:45, 135:60:60, 170:70:70 and 205:90:90 g per plant ) studied, increasing the fertilizer level from 65:30:30 to135:60:60 resulted in increase of the number of fruits per plant, maximum average fruit weight, fruit girth, fruit volume, fruit yield and maximum storage life. But, further increase in fertilizer doses decreased the above characters in meadow system of planting of guava.

Among the interactions, Lalit with 135:60:60 g NPK per plant recorded maximum stem girth at 90 days and at harvest. Allahabad Safeda with 135:60:60 g of fertilizer level showed minimum number of days taken for flowering from first split of fertilizer application and minimum number of days taken for harvesting from flowering.

205:90:90 g NPK per plant recorded maximum total soluble solids, ascorbic acid content and total sugars but was at par with 170:70:70 g and 135:60:60 g NPK per plant.

Application of 135:60:60 g NPK per plant for two years old guava plant in two split doses were found to be optimum in increasing growth, fruit yield and quality of guava cultivars under meadow system of planting in Telangana conditions of Andhra Pradesh.

179) “Heterosis and combining ability studies in tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) in Line x Tester analysis” – K.Vinaya Raju.

ABSTRACT

The present investigation on “Heterosis and combining ability studies in tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) in Line x Tester analysis” was undertaken with eight lines (EC 145057, EC 163663, EC 238308, EC 257489, EC 320574-1, EC 338714, EC 338717 and EC 338735) and four testers (Arka Saurabh, Pusa Ruby, PED and Marutham). The parents and 32 F₁ hybrids along with one standard check (Arka Vikas) were evaluated for heterosis and combining ability at N.B.P.G.R Regional station Rajendra nagar, Hyderabad during rabi and summer 2008-09 in a randomized block design with three replications. Genetic parameters like GCV, PCV, Heritability, Genetic advance and Character association were also studied for yield and yield contributing characters.

The analysis of variance revealed significant differences among the genotypes for all the traits studied. Further the line x tester was found significant for all the characters under study except for ascorbic acid content. The heritability was considerably high for ascorbic acid, seed content, plant height, rind thickness, fruit diameter, fruit length, fruit weight, fruit volume, days to 50% flowering and yield per plant. The levels of heterosis were high in several crosses for fruit weight, fruit length, fruit diameter, fruit volume, rind thickness, TSS, ascorbic acid and fruit juice content.

The mean performance of the crosses (EC 163663 x Pusa Ruby, EC 257489 x Pusa Ruby and EC 257489 x Arka Saurabh) for fruit yield per plant was superior but none of the hybrids exhibited better yield over the standard check (Arka Vikas). The crosses EC 145057 x Pusa Ruby, EC 338717 x PED and EC 338717 x Marutham exhibited high rind thickness over standard check. The ascorbic acid content recorded high over standard check in crosses EC 257489 X Arka Saurabh, EC 238308 x Marutham, EC145057 x Marutham and EC145057 x PED respectively. TSS was high in crosses EC145057 x Arka Saurabh, EC145057 x Pusa Ruby and EC 163663 x Pusa Ruby over the standard check. The inbreds EC 338735 and EC 257489 resulted in the production of better single crosess EC 338735 x Marutham and EC 257489 x Arka Saurabh for fruit yield per plant.

The study of correlations revealed that fruit yield per plant was positive and significantly correlated with fruit weight, fruit length, fruit diameter, fruit volume, rind thickness, TSS and fruit juice content.
180) “Evaluation of cherry tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum L. var. cerasiforme) for yield and quality under shade net” – J.Om Prasad.

ABSTRACT

A field investigation entitled “Evaluation of cherry tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum L. var. cerasiforme) for yield and quality under shade net” was carried out at experimental farm, Horticultural College and Research Institute,Dr. Y.S.R. Horticultural University, Anantharajupet, Y.S.R. (Dist.), Andhra Pradesh during the early kharif-2013. The experiment consists of eleven cherry tomato genotypes viz., IIHR-2871(T1), IIHR-2872(T2), IIHR-2873(T3), IIHR-2751(T4), IIHR-2753(T5), IIHR-2876(T6), Laila(T7), Roja(T8), Ruhi(T9), Sheeja(T10) and AFA 602(T11) replicated thrice in a Randomized Block Design under 50 per cent shade net.

The results on growth parameters revealed that maximum plant height at 90 days after transplanting in Roja (313.26 cm) followed by Laila (312.20 cm). Sheeja (3.20) followed by IIHR-2876 (3.00) produced significantly highest number of primary branches plant-1. The genotype AFA 602 (28.40) took significantly minimum number of days for first flower initiation followed by Ruhi and Roja, which took 29.88 and 30.40 days respectively. Similarly the genotype, AFA 602 (70 days) took the shortest period from transplanting to first fruit harvest followed by Roja (71days). IIHR-2872 took least number of days (39.66) to 50 per cent plants to flowering and said to be an early genotype followed by Roja (41.33).

Highest number of flowers cluste-1 and number of fruits cluster-1 was noticed in the genotype Sheeja (10.70 and 9.46) followed by Ruhi and Laila (9.80, 7.80 and 9.60, 7.20 respectively). Maximum number of fruiting clusters plant-1 at harvest was recorded by Sheeja (31.46) followed by IIHR-2872 (29.80), while the genotype IIHR-2751 (14.60) recorded the minimum. Fruit set percentage was maximum in Sheeja (88.8) which is at par with Roja, Laila, AFA 602 and Ruhi with a fruit set values of 88.8, 86.53, 82.80 and 81.10 per cent respectively.

The longest fruit was recorded in genotype IIHR-2872 (4.12 cm) followed by Sheeja (4.06 cm) and Laila (4.05 cm). The genotype IIHR-2873 (4.17cm) followed by IIHR-2873 (3.67cm) produced significantly highest fruit width. Fruit shape index was found maximum in Sheeja (2