HortFlora Research Spectrum

8 - 13

Authors: P.S. Kashyap

The study was carried out at the College of Forestry & Hill Agriculture, Hill Campus, Ranichauri, Uttarakhand. Soil moisture content was measured using gravimetric method periodically in 0-15, 15-30, 30-45 and 45-60 cm soil profiles. Field experiments were conducted on cauliflower (Brassica oleracea) crop during 2007-08 and 2008-09. The crop was transplanted in October and harvested in February spanning 100 and 99 days, respectively. Four irrigation treatments were maintained based on the maximum allowable depletion (MAD) of available soil water. The treatments were 15% (T1), 30% (T2), 45% (T3) and 60% (T4) maximum allowable depletion of available soil water. No water stress was maintained at the initial stages of the crop development in order to allow the plants attain a healthy growth. Results revealed that irrigation schedule with 45% maximum allowable depletion of available soil water gave the maximum water use efficiency for cauliflower crop. It was found that for scheduling of irrigation for cauliflower crop 0-30 cm soil profile should be considered as most of the water was found to be extracted from this layer by the plant.

20 - 24

Authors: Suresh Bhise; Amarjeet Kaur; Poonam Aggarwal

Grape juice residue i.e. peel and seeds were dried in a cabinet drier at 60oC for 5 hours. Dried grape peel and seed powder were utilized in the bread and muffins, which were found to be rich in total phenolic compounds, anthocyanins and ascorbic acid. On addition of grape peel and seed powder to the bread at 2 per cent and 4 per cent in each there was increase in weight, volume, specific volume. The shelf life of bread with grape peel and seed powder was more than control. The appearance, colour, texture and taste of bread and muffins with grape peel and seed powder was more eye appealing than control with higher sensory scores.

30 - 34

Authors: K.K. Singh; J. Rawat; Y.K. Tomar; Prabhat Kumar

The experiment was carried out in randomized block design at Horticultural Research Centre, Chauras Campus, HNB Garhwal University Srinagar (Garhwal), Uttarakhand,India. Soft wood cuttings of T. compecta were collected from 3 to 4 year old plants and 15 cm long cuttings with apical portion. The cuttings were treated with 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5g L-1 IBA solutions by quick dip method. Vermicompost was used as the rooting media. The temperature of the vermicompost was 26 2°C. Experiment was conducted in the mist house. Among all the treatments, highest number of root per cutting (19.67) was recorded under 5g L-1 IBA concentration. The maximum length of roots per cutting (9.33 cm) was recorded under 2g L-1 IBA concentration. The maximum diameter of root per cutting (0.20 cm) was observed in 4g L-1 and 5g L-1 IBA concentration. Maximum (82.70%) roots per rooted cutting was observed in 5g L-1 IBA concentration. The minimum (23.67 days) taken to callus formation was noticed in 4g L-1 IBA concentration.

40 - 44

Authors: A.P.S. Gangwar; J.P. Singh; Indra Pal Singh

An experiment was laid out during two consecutive years in Horticulture garden of Chandra Shekhar Azad University of Agriculture and Technology Kanpur. There were three nitrogenous sources viz. urea, ammonium sulphate and calcium ammonium nitrate, four levels of nitrogen viz. 0, 50,100 and 150 kg/ha and four levels of phosphorus viz. 0,100,200 and 300 kg/ha, thus a total of fourty treatments were taken. The results showed that emergence of spike under the influence of N sources ranged from 97.27-98.35 and 95.58-97.91 days during first and second year of study. Calcium ammonium nitrate caused 1.08 and 2.33 days earlier spike emergence than urea treatment. Nitrogen applied@ 150kg/ha proved more effective in delaying spike emergence but 300kg/ha phosphorus induced earliest emergence. Length and width of spikes was improved with ammonium sulphate followed by CAN recorded 78.19 and 80.99 cm long and 0.88 and 0.90 cm thick spikes, respectively. Nitrogen applied @150 kg/ha caused 78.16 and 81.14 cm length of spike and 0.88 and 0.89 cm thick spikes in first and second year, respectively. Length of rachis was registered 1.45 and 1.65 cm longer under ammonium sulphate. 150 kg nitrogen per hectare maximized length of rachis (26.74,27.85 cm) whereas, phosphorus @ 300kg/ha revealed maximum (26.26 and 27.38 cm) length of rachis. Number of flower maximum influenced by CAN revealed 39.69 and 40.83 flowers during both years.Nitrogen @ 150kg/ha maximized (40.80 and 41.20) number of flowers. Fertilization with calcium ammonium nitrate exhibited longest blossoming duration. Durability of spike increased consistently with increase in nitrogen levels up to 150/ha dose recording 21.41, 22.39 days duration during both experimental years. Phosphrous @ 200kg pro longed self life by 3.46 and 2.67 days when compared with control registering 20.89 and 22.33 days durability.

50 - 55

Authors: Jitendra Kumar Patel; Vijay Bahadur; Devi Singh; V. M. Prasad; S. B. Rangare

Twenty cucumber hybrids were evaluated for growth, yield and fruit quality traits in Allahabad agroclimic conditions. The study revealed that the hybrid Garima Super recorded highest vine length (249.17 cm), number of branches per vine (11.42), number of male flowers (206.33) and female flowers (29.17) per vine, number of fruits per vine (13.83), fruit weight (168.33 g), fruit length (168.33 cm), fruit diameter (4.03 cm), fruit yield (2.24 kg/ vine and 36.24 tha-1), TSS (5.50 °Brix), vitamin C content (7.28 mg/100 g) and organoleptic scores for various fruit quality traits while, the lowest days to appearance first male flower (31.92) and female flower (35.83), node number at which first male flower (3.42) and female flower (4.83) appeared and days to first fruit harvest (44.83) were observed in same hybrid. Hybrid Garima Super was found superior based on the overall performance of different cucumber hybrids for growth, yield, quality characters and economic returns for cultivation of cucumber under Allahabad conditions.

60 - 63

Authors: Avinash C. Rathore and J. N. Singh

A field experiment was conducted to determine the effect of different levels of nitrogen on flowering, essential oil and bulb production in tuberose (Polianthes tuberosa L. cv Rajat Rekha). Four treatments of graded level of nitrogen as (N0=0, N1=120, N2= 220 and N3=320 kg/ha-1) were evaluated under hot subtropical climatic conditions on loamy soils. Application of graded level of nitrogen significantly increased the number of leaves / clump (20.47%), plant height (37.35%), leaf area (32.86%), spike length (35.25%), number of florets / spike (43.23%) and flower yield / clump (93.03%) in N3 as compared to control, N1 and N2,respectively. Nitrogen application @ 220 kg ha-1 reduced days to flowering (by 13.36%), increased vase life (by 17.57 %), enhanced essential oil (by 0.128 %) and increased total bulb yield (by 66.94%, 34.01%) and 3.97% over control, N2 and N3, respectively

68 - 71

Authors: B.V.C. Mahajan; Nav Prem Singh; Mahesh Kumar

Pear fruits cv. ‘Patharnakh’ were harvested at physiological mature stage, packed in paper moulded tray and tightly wrapped with different packaging films viz. Low density polyethylene (LDPE), High density poly ethylene ( HDPE),and Shrink. The film-packed fruits andcontrol (without film packaging) were stored under super-market conditions i.e. 20-21°C and 85-90% RH and analyzed for various physico-chemical parameters after every 7 days interval.Shrink film proved to be most effective in extending the storage life of pear fruits up to three weeks and maintained superior quality as indicated by lower weight loss, desirable fruit firmness,total soluble solids, total sugars, acidity, and higher organoleptic score.

77 - 80

Authors: Amit Dixit; S.S. Shaw; Virendra Pal

The present investigation was conducted in the litchi orchard of the Farm Area of R.M.D., College of Ambikapur in the year 2007 to 2009 to assess the effect of micro nutrients and growth regulators on fruiting in Litchi cv. Ambika Li tchi -1. The application of borax 0.4 per cent resulted in maximum fruit set (41.20%), fruit retention (22.60%), size of fruit (4.10 cm × 3.10 cm),number of fruits per tree (4625), weight of individual fruit (21.05 g) and fruit yield (92.85 kg/tree). GA3 10 ppm also was found effective treatment to increase fruit set, fruit retention and size of fruit. GA3 20 ppm produce maximum number of fruit/tree and yield. Interaction between borax 0.4 per cent and GA3 20 ppm exhibited in maximum retention of fruit and fruit yield. Maximum fruit cracking of 13 per cent was ob served in borax 0.4 per cent.

84 - 86

Authors: Sanjay Pathak; Chandan Kumar; S.P. Uniyal; Lalit Bhatt

The pooled data indicated considerable variation for vegetative characters,amongst which the maximum leaf area (1022.71 cm2) was ob served in Varun, while the hybrid T-50 top ranked with respect to number of wrapper leaves (14.98) and plant spread (68.56 cm).Golden Acre, an open pollinated check variety, took minimum number of days to maturity (44days from transplanting). Best quality and yield parameters viz., the maximum ascorbic acidcontent (139.53 mg/100 g) and head size (515.05 cm2) were recorded in Blue Diamond and NBH-Arun, respectively, whereas, T-50 measured the maximum head weight (2.106 Kg) and yield (801.19 q/ha).

90 - 92

Authors: Prathamesh Vaidya and John P. Collis

Observations on vase life and bud opening of cut flowers of Dendrobium cv.Sonia-17 as influenced by floral preservatives revealed that maximum vase life (37.33 days),flower diameter (8.14 cm), number of florets open at a time (7.30) and longest blooming period were recorded with 75 ppm HQC + 75 ppm AgNO3 + 2% sucrose.