Effect of dates of transplanting and crop geometries on growth, yield and quality of cape gooseberry

Abstract

The present investigation consisting of 3 dates of transplanting (15th September, 30th September and 15th October) and 2 crop geometries (90 cm × 60 cm, 60 cm × 60 cm) was laid out in split plot design with three replications. The results revealed that the different dates of transplanting and crop geometries significantly influenced the growth, yield and quality of cape gooseberry. Significantly maximum (90.24 cm E-W and 88.85 cm N-S) plant spread, leaf perimeter (34.28 cm), leaf length (11.55 cm), leaf breadth (10.25 cm), number of picking per plant (5.38), fruit set (87.09 per cent), number of fruits per plant (82.34), fruit yield per plant (1038.43 g), estimated yield (255.99 q/ha), TSS (12.50ºB), TSS/Acid ratio (50.19), total sugars (6.34 per cent), juice content (60.11 %), vitamin-C (29.84 mg/100g), carotene content (1.63 mg/100g), vertical fruit diameter (22.91 mm) and horizontal fruit diameter (22.27 mm), highest fruit weight (10.88 g), sensory score (6.87), minimum days taken to first harvest (116.49 days), duration of harvesting (31.19 days) and the lowest titratable acidity (0.26 %) were observed when transplanting of cape gooseberry was done on 30th September at 90 cm × 60 cm spacing (D2S1).