Response of pre-harvest foliar application of zinc and boron on mango cv. Amrapali under New Alluvial Zone of West Bengal

Abstract

The influence of zinc sulphate and borax (as foliar application) on fruit retention, yield and physico-chemical properties of mango cv. Amrapali were evaluated for consecutive two years at Horticultural Research Station, Mondouri, Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya under the new alluvial zone of West Bengal, India. The chemicals, i.e., zinc sulphate (0.5, 1.0 & 1.5%) and borax (0.25, 0.5 & 0.75%) were sprayed at pea and marble stages of fruit growth and development. The pooled data from the consecutive two years experiment reveals that the maximum fruit retention at marble stage (40.95%), at harvest stage (7.66%), maximum number of fruits per plant (170), and maximum yield per tree (36.00 kg) was obtained with borax 0.5%. Whereas, average maximum fruit length (10.33 cm), breadth (6.33 cm), were recorded with borax 0.25% and maximum pulp content (73.57%) was obtained from the treatment with borax 0.75%. Regarding quality parameters, maximum TSS (20.75°brix), total sugars (17.08%), non reducing sugar (12.32%), ascorbic acid (41.62 mg/100 g of fruit pulp), TSS/acid ratio (115.11) and lowest acidity (0.18%) were recorded with 1.0% zinc sulphate.