Effect of pre-harvest spray of plant growth regulators and nutrients on post-harvest quality of guava (Psidium guajava L.)

Abstract

A field experiment to study the effect of pre-harvest application of plant growth regulators and nutrients namely giberellic acid, naphthalene acetic acid, calcium nitrate and zinc sulphate on post-harvest quality of guava was conducted at Fruit Orchard, College of Agriculture, RVSKVV, Gwalior (M.P.) during the year of 2015-16 and . The experiment was laid out with thirteen treatments replicated three times in a Randomized Block Design. Results revealed that guava fruits treated with 0.6% zinc sulphate increased the post-harvest quality of guava fruits on 9th days over control and proved superior to maintain the considerable physico-chemical composition (TSS, acidity, TSS/ acid ratio, reducing sugar, non-reducing sugar, ascorbic acid content and pectin content) of guava fruits as compared to control and different doses of other chemicals. Spray of other chemicals spray proved inferior to zinc sulphate and superior to control with respect to physic-chemical composition of fruits. The lower values of physico-chemical composition of guava fruit were recorded in control.