Effect of different level of N, P and K on growth, yield and soil status of Guava under meadow orchard system

Introduction

The guava, Psidium guajava L., is a member of the Myrtaceae family. Guava is known as the "apple of the tropics" or "poor man's fruit." According to Singh et al. (2000) [38] , guava is one of India's most promising fruit crops and one of the most exquisitely nutritious and profitable crops. Effects of climate changes directly influence maturity and development of fruit crops, leading to shifts in phenology, modifications in fruit yield, and alterations in fruit composition. To ensure the continued production and sustainability of fruit crops, building resilience becomes of utmost importance. Innovative cultivation methods that boost productivity and fruit quality are constantly sought after to meet rising global demand and boost guava farming's profitability (Karagatiya et al. 2023) [18] . Traditional planting methods make it difficult to achieve optimal yields, as large plants produce less fruit per unit area and require four to five years to reach commercial bearing. This delays profitability and increases production costs. With ever increasing land costs and the need for early returns on invested capital, there is a worldwide trend toward high density plantings/meadow orcharding (Sah et al. 2018) [29] . The amount of nutrients that plants remove from the soil is significantly higher and more importantly, varies depending on the conditions of the soil because of the increased plant population per unit area. High-density planting intensifies competition for nutrients among trees. Balanced application of NPK is thus, necessary to maintain a synchronized growth cycle and achieve high-quality fruit under high-density conditions (Singh et al. 2016; Tiwari et al. 2020) [37, 43] . Fertilizer costs constitute a significant portion of production expenses. The development of standardized fertilization guidelines will equip guava farmers with actionable insights to optimize their fertilization practices. This situation requires targeted research to establish precise

The experimental material consisted of 1 year old guava plants cultivar Lucknow-49. These plants are spaced at 2 m × 1 m distance. In all 216 uniform plants of guava were selected for the experimentation. All the experimental plants were managed with uniform cultural practices as per the standard recommendations with respect to farm yard manures, irrigation and plant protection measures during investigation. The experiment was laid out in randomized block design with factorial concept.

Results and Discussion 1. Response of N, P and K on Growth parameters 1.1 Plant Height (m) 1.1.1 Effect of nitrogen, phosphorus and potash The data in table 2 reveals different levels of nitrogen, phosphorus and potash on initial plant height was found nonsignificant during the years 2022-23 and 2023-24 as well as in pooled analysis. Significantly maximum plant height after harvest 2.24, 2.51 and 2.38 m was recorded in the treatment N 3 during both the years and the pooled data respectively. This underscores the importance of nitrogen in promoting shoot elongation and vigorous vegetative growth. Significantly maximum plant height after harvest was found in the treatment P 2 (2.20 m) during first year and (2.47 m) during second year as well as in pooled data (2.33 m) despite the lack of significant differences in initial height. This suggests that the optimal amount of phosphorus contributes to long-term growth by enhancing root development, nutrient uptake and overall metabolic processes. The effect various levels of potash on plant height after harvest during the first year had no significant difference. But, data significantly varied and maximum plant height after harvest was recorded in the treatment with treatment K 2 (2.20 m) for first year, (2.47 m) for second year and (2.33 m) pooled data respectively. Although these values were lower than those of the nitrogen and phosphorus treatments, potassium still supported vegetative growth, likely by enhancing enzyme activation and water regulation.

Interaction effect

The interaction effects of different levels of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) on both initial plant height and plant height after harvest were found to be non-significant for both years and the pooled results. The observations indicated that the initial height of the plants was not significantly affected by the different levels of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K). This suggests that fertilizer treatment had a minimal impact on the early vegetative growth of the guava plants, which remained relatively stable. In contrast, nitrogen levels resulted in significant variations in plant height following harvest. This finding demonstrates that the meadow orchard system significantly improved plant growth performance through the synergistic interaction of higher nitrogen and phosphorus doses. Similar findings have been found by Kumar et al. (2009) [20] , Baviskar et al. (2018) [3] and Bhatti et al. (2023) [4] in guava; Parmar et al. (2025) [26] and Singh et al. (2017) [39] in mango; Silva et al. (2022) [36] and Gondaliya et al. (2025) [12] in custard apple; Nalina et al. (2002) [22] and Pandey et al. (2002) [25] in banana; Silas et al. (2021) [35] in citrus.

The data in table 2 reveals the effect of different levels of nitrogen, phosphorus and potash on initial stem girth was found non-significant during the year 2022-23. Significantly maximum initial stem girth was observed in treatment N 3 (15.91 cm) in second year. Also, maximum initial stem girth was observed in treatment N 3 (12.61 cm) which was at par with N 2 (12.17 cm) followed by N 1 (11.65 The varying amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium applied under the meadow orchard system had a noticeable effect on the initial and post-harvest stem girth of guava plants.

Stem girth is an important indicator of structural strength and vegetative vigor, which is especially significant for supporting a fruit-bearing canopy and sustaining tree growth over the seasons. Among the nitrogen treatments, treatment N 3 consistently recorded the maximum stem girth, indicating that higher nitrogen doses greatly promote post-harvest stem thickening and cumulative wood development. The most effective phosphorus treatment was P 2 , which highlighted phosphorus's positive influence on vascular development and overall structural robustness. In terms of potassium, treatment K 2 also showed promising results, making it competitive with other treatments for increasing stem girth after harvest.

Interaction effect

The interaction effects of different levels of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) on initial stem girth were found to be non-significant for both years and the pooled results.

There was significant variation in the data of stem girth after harvest in both the years and pooled analysis as in table 3. Significantly maximum stem girth after harvest was observed in treatment combination N 3 P 2 (14.17 cm) during first year and (17.41 cm) in pooled analysis respectively. While in second year maximum stem girth after harvest was also found in treatment combination N 3 P 2 (20.65 cm) which was at par with treatment combination N 2 P 2 (19.58 cm). Overall, all optimal treatments significantly increased postharvest stem girth, with N 3 showing the most notable response, followed by K 2 and P 2 . These findings suggest that nitrogen is the most crucial nutrient for stem development, particularly for strengthening stems and promoting long-term vegetative growth. This underscores the importance of maintaining yield potential and supporting robust plant architecture in guava under meadow orchard systems by balancing the NPK regime, particularly with higher levels of nitrogen and potassium. The remarkable response of N 3 P 2 may be attributed to the synergistic effect of enhanced nitrogen, which supports vigorous vegetative growth, and optimal phosphorus, which promotes root development and energy transfer, contributing to overall plant robustness and stem thickening. This suggests that even a moderate nitrogen level combined with an adequate phosphorus dose can substantially improve stem girth, though not to the same extent as the highest nitrogen level. Similar findings have been found by Bibha et al. (2017) [5] , Khan et al. (2018) [19] , Mushtaq et al. (2019) [21] and Bohara et al.

(2024) [6] in guava; Gondaliya et al. (2023) [13] in custard apple; Navaneetha Krishnan et al. (2015) [23] in banana.; Silas et al.

Response of N, P and K on yield parameters 2.1 Number of fruits per plant 2.1.1 Effect of nitrogen, phosphorus and potash

The analysis of data on number of fruits per plant is presented in The maximum number of fruits per plant was observed in treatment K 2 (30.45) in the first year, (25.92) in the second year and the pooled data averaging (28.19). In contrast, treatment K 1 resulted in the minimum number of fruits per plant, recording (27.30) in the first year, (23.78) in the second year, and an average of (25.54) in the pooled data.

Interaction effect

The interaction effects of different levels of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) on number of fruits per plant were found to be non-significant for both years and the pooled results. The only exception was the effect of N and K on number of fruits per plant as in table 5. Maximum number of fruits per plant were observed in treatment combination N 3 K 2 (32.11) during first year and (27.83) second year which were statistically at par with N 2 K 2 (31.41 and 26.64) and N 3 K 3 (31.23 and 25.47), respectively. The pooled analysis indicated that treatment combination N 3 K 2 (29.97) had highest number of fruits per plant followed by N 2 K 2 (29.02) and N 3 K 3 (28.35), respectively. The least number of fruits per plant was observed in treatment combination N 1 K 1 in both the years and pooled data.

These findings indicate that moderate to higher doses of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) enhance the overall fruiting potential. This effect is observed not only in the number of fruits set per shoot but also in the total fruit load per plant. The cumulative effect arises from increased flowering, fruit set, and overall shoot productivity due to optimal nutrient supply. The interaction results that using a higher dose of nitrogen (90 g/plant) alongside a moderate dose of potassium (30 g/plant) significantly improves fruit set and development, leading to a greater fruit yield per plant. Nitrogen is essential for cell division and vegetative growth, which helps promote the development of more productive shoots. Conversely, potassium enhances flowering, fruit development, and the movement of photosynthates to reproductive organs. The synergistic interaction between nitrogen and potassium at optimal levels (N 3 K 2 ) is crucial for maximizing reproductive efficiency in guava trees grown under the meadow orchard system. Although high nitrogen levels may boost vegetative vigor, balancing it with potassium ensures that this growth effectively translates into fruit-bearing capacity without resulting in excessive vegetative growth that could hinder fruiting. The comparable performance of N 2 K 2 and N 3 K 3 supports the notion that either slightly lower nitrogen (60 g/plant) with optimal potassium or higher nitrogen with slightly increased potassium can still achieve relatively high fruit numbers. However, in the pooled analysis conducted over two years, N 3 K 2 consistently emerged as the most effective treatment. These findings are supported by the research of Thirupathi et al. (2016) [42] , Khan et al. (2018) [19] and Mushtaq et al. (2019) [21] in guava. Sharma et al. (2000) [33] and Satapathy and Banik (2002) [32] in mango, Kamalakannan et al. (2019) [17] in banana and Chell et al. (2023) [9] in pomegranate.

The analysis of data on number of fruits per plant is presented in Table 4. The data indicated that effect of different levels of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potash on fruit weight (g) was found significant during the years 2022-

Interaction effect

The interaction effects of different levels of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) on fruit weight (g) was found to be non-significant for both years and the pooled results. The only exception was the effect of N and K on fruit weight (g) as in table 5. Maximum fruit weight (g) was observed in treatment combination N 3 K 2 (133.62) during first year which was at par with N 2 K 2 and N 3 K 3 . While during second year maximum fruit weight (g) (132.61) was noted in in treatment combination N 3 K 2 which were statistically at par with N 2 K 2 , N 3 K 3 , N 3 K 1 , and N 2 K 1 , respectively. The pooled analysis indicated that treatment combination N 3 K 2 (133.12) had highest fruit weight (g) followed by N 2 K 2 . The least fruit weight (g) was observed in treatment combination N 1 K 1 in both the years and pooled data.

Fruit size, which directly affects marketability and yield, was highest in the N₃ treatment at an average of 126.19 grams. This value was significantly greater than all other treatments and comparable to the N 2 treatment in the first year. The P 2 treatment, with an average size of 123.63 grams, and the K 2 treatment, at 123.54 grams, performed second best. This suggests that both phosphorus and potassium positively influence the development of fruit size. Phosphorus enhances the energy supply through ATP, which is vital for fruit growth, while potassium supports sugar translocation, turgor pressure, and enzymatic activity. These findings are consistent with the research of Singh et al.

(2016) [37] and Das et al. (2012), which demonstrated the positive impact of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (NPK) on guava fruit weight.

Fruit weight is a crucial parameter that significantly affects both quality and yield in fruit crops. It is directly influenced by nutrient availability, particularly macronutrients like nitrogen (N) and potassium (K). These nutrients play an essential role in promoting vegetative growth, carbohydrate synthesis, and nutrient transport to the fruit. The combination of nitrogen and potassium, specifically N3K2, may lead to a higher fruit weight due to increased photosynthetic efficiency, better nutrient transfer during fruit development, and enhanced cell division and expansion during the growth stages. Nitrogen stimulates vegetative growth and the development of leaf area, which ensures sufficient production of photosynthates. Meanwhile, potassium improves the translocation of sugars and the development of cell walls, resulting in larger and denser fruit. The broader range of statistically similar treatments observed in the second year may be attributed to more favorable climatic conditions that enhanced nutrient uptake efficiency across the treatments. Additionally, the soil's improved buffering capacity in the second season, due to residual fertility, and possibly greater plant maturity and canopy size could have led to a more stable source-sink relationship. Similar findings were reported by Sarolia et al. (2020) [31] and Challa et al. (2021) [7] in guava, Ahmed et al. (2011) [1] in mango, Azam et al. (2022) [2] in pomegranate and Navgare et al. (2021) [24] in banana.

The analysis of data on number of fruits per plant is presented in Table 4. The data indicated that effect of different levels of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potash on fruit length (cm) during both the years and in pooled analysis also. Significantly maximum fruit length (67.90 cm) in first year and (70.00 cm) in second year and (68.95 cm) pooled data was recorded in the treatment N 3 during.

Interaction effect

The interaction effects of varying levels of N, P, and K on fruit length (cm) were found to be non-significant during both years and in the pooled results.

Fruit length is an important morphological parameter that significantly affects the physical appearance, marketability, and consumer preference for guava fruits. The results of the current study indicate that fruit length was notably influenced by the levels of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium in the meadow orchard system of guava cultivation. The increase in fruit length observed under the N₃ treatment is likely due to nitrogen's essential role in protein synthesis, vegetative growth, and leaf area development. These factors enhance photosynthetic activity, thereby promoting better fruit development.

Additionally, nitrogen plays a critical role in hormonal regulation, particularly in the synthesis of auxins and cytokinins, which are directly involved in the elongation of fruit cells. Phosphorus is essential for energy transfer mechanisms (such as ATP), root development, and reproductive processes, all of which positively impact flower and fruit development.

The observed increase in fruit length at the P₂ level may be attributed to improved nutrient and water uptake, along with enhanced metabolic efficiency during the fruit development stage. Potassium regulates osmotic balance, enzyme activation and the translocation of photosynthates to the developing fruits. These factors are crucial for fruit elongation and enlargement. The superior performance of the K₂ treatment in terms of fruit length suggests that potassium played a vital role in enhancing cell expansion, resulting in larger and more uniform fruits. Similar beneficial effects of potassium on fruit size have been reported by Sharma et al. (2014) [34] and Raghavendra et al.

(2018) [28] in guava. El-Wakeel (2005) [10] in mango.

Interaction effect

The interaction effects of varying levels of N, P, and K on fruit diameter (cm) were found to be non-significant during both years and in the pooled results.

Fruit diameter is a crucial indicator of girth and bulk, significantly influencing market acceptability, visual appeal, and consumer preference for guava. This investigation revealed that different levels of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium had a significant impact on fruit diameter. The findings indicate that applying a balanced and adequate supply of nutrients enhances the overall size and shape of guava fruits. Nitrogen is essential for vigorous vegetative growth, chlorophyll production, and amino acid synthesis, which together increase photosynthetic activity and result in greater assimilates available for fruit development. The larger fruit diameter observed with the highest nitrogen level (N₃) is likely due to improved nutrient assimilation and cell division, particularly in the early stages of fruit development. Phosphorus plays a vital role in establishing a strong root system and is crucial for energy transfer (ATP), flower formation, and fruit development.

The moderate level of phosphorus used (P₂) likely facilitated efficient nutrient transport, timely flowering, and balanced fruit development, contributing positively to fruit diameter. Potassium is critical for the transport of sugars, enzyme activation, and the maintenance of cell turgor, all of which foster fruit enlargement and uniform girth. The enhanced performance under the moderate potassium treatment (K₂) suggests that potassium significantly contributes to improving fruit diameter by regulating metabolic activities, enhancing the translocation of assimilates, and promoting uniform fruit development. These findings align with the observations of Chavan et al. (2020) [3] in guava, Hasan et al. (2013) [15] and Vala et al. (2020) [45] in mango

The data presented in table 4 revealed that significant differences in yield per hectare (t/ha) was observed because of different levels of nitrogen during both the years and in pooled analysis also presented in Table 4

Interaction effect

The interaction effects of different levels of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) on yield per hectare (t/ha) was found to be non-significant for both years and the pooled results. The only exception was the effect of N and K yield per hectare (t/ha) as in table 5. Maximum yield per hectare (t/ha) was observed in treatment combination N 3 K 2 (21.49 t/ha) during first year and (18.66 t/ha) during second year which was at par with N 2 K 2 (19.95 t/ha and 17.17 t/ha) during both the years, respectively. The pooled analysis indicated that treatment combination N 3 K 2 (20.07) had highest yield per hectare (t/ha). The lowest yield per hectare (t/ha) was observed in treatment combination N 1 K 1 in both the years and pooled data.

Fruit yield per hectare is the primary criterion for evaluating the productivity and economic viability of an orchard system. Optimized nutrient management is essential to support the intensive resource demands of closely spaced trees in highdensity planting systems, such as the meadow orchard. The current findings indicate that nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), and particularly the interaction between nitrogen and potassium (N × K) significantly influence guava fruit yield per hectare. Among the nitrogen treatments, the N 3 treatment (90 g N/plant/year) consistently recorded the highest yield per hectare. The observed increase in yield with greater nitrogen doses can be attributed to enhanced vegetative vigor and canopy development, which promote photosynthetic capacity, improved fruit set and retention resulting in a higher number of fruits per plant, as well as greater carbohydrate synthesis and its allocation towards reproductive organs.

A moderate supply of phosphorus proved optimal, likely due to its roles in stimulating root growth, which leads to better nutrient absorption, supporting energy metabolism and reproductive development, as well as aiding flower initiation and fruit development. Balanced phosphorus levels can also increase fruit size and uniformity. However, phosphorus levels that are too low or too high can hinder the use of other nutrients and potentially have adverse effects. In terms of potassium, the K 2 treatment (30 g K₂O/plant/year) yielded the highest results. Its performance, comparable to K 3 in the second year, suggests that both moderate and slightly higher potassium levels are effective.

The improved yields associated with K 2 can be related to potassium's essential functions, such as enhancing carbohydrate metabolism and transport to fruits, maintaining turgor pressure, improving fruit firmness, and reducing fruit drop, all of which contribute to increased fruit weight and overall yield per hectare. The interaction effect between nitrogen and potassium (N × K) was highly significant for yield per hectare. The combination of higher nitrogen (N 3 ) and moderate potassium (K 2 ) was the most synergistic, maximizing yield. This can be explained by their complementary effects: nitrogen promotes growth and fruit set, while potassium ensures proper translocation of assimilates to the fruits. This results in enhanced source-sink efficiency, where the increased vegetative output from N 3 is effectively utilized for fruit production due to the mobilization capabilities of K 2 . A balanced nutrient environment minimizes nutrient antagonism and promotes optimal physiological functions. The comparable performance of N 2 K 2 and N 3 K 3 in some seasons suggests that there is a range of optimal nutrient combinations, although N 3 K 2 remains the most stable and productive across both years and pooled data. These findings are supported by the research of Tomar and Tomar (2012) [44] , Mushtaq et al. (2019) [21] , Chavan et al. (2020) [3] and Bhatti et al. (2023) [4] in guava, Satapathy and Banik (2002) [32] in mango, Suresh Kumar et al. (2011) [40] in custard apple and Yellapu et al. (2023) [47] in papaya.

The data pertaining to soil available nitrogen (kg/ha) revealed that effect of different levels of nitrogen on soil available nitrogen was significantly affected in the year 2022-23, 2023-24 and in pooled data as seen in table 6. Significantly highest available nitrogen in the soil (246.95, 227.38 and 237.17 kg/ha) was observed with the application of the treatment N 3 in both the year and pooled data, respectively. Whereas, treatment N 1 was resulted lowest available nitrogen in the soil (222.24, 212.00 and 217.12 kg/ha) during both the year and pooled analysis, respectively. An analysis of the data represented that soil available nitrogen (kg/ha) was found non-significant due to different levels of phosphorus and potash in the year 2022-23, 2023-24 and in pooled data.

Interaction effect

All the interaction effect of different levels of N, P and K on soil available nitrogen (kg/ha.) during both the year and in pooled data was found non-significant.

The results regarding the available nitrogen content in the soil showed that the highest levels were observed in the first year at 246.95 kg/ha, in the second year at 227.38 kg/ha, and the pooled mean at 237.17 kg/ha, all recorded under the N 3 treatment, which corresponds to the highest nitrogen application level. This clearly demonstrates a direct and positive relationship between the amount of nitrogen applied and the residual nitrogen content in the soil, aligning with the expected nutrient accumulation effect from higher nitrogen doses. However, the effects of different levels of phosphorus and potassium on available soil nitrogen were found to be non-significant. This indicates that neither phosphorus nor potassium fertilization had a measurable impact on the residual nitrogen content in the soil under the experimental conditions. The absence of any interaction effects suggests that nitrogen dynamics in the soil are primarily governed by the direct application rate of nitrogen, rather than being significantly influenced by phosphorus and potassium levels. This reinforces the importance of optimizing nitrogen management independently to improve soil nitrogen status in guava orchards. These findings align with the observations of Gupta et al. (2000) [14] , Verma et al. (2012) [46] and Palepad (2020).

Available

Interaction effect

All the interaction effect of different levels of N, P and K on soil available phosphorus (P 2 O 5 kg/ha) during both the year and in pooled analysis was found non-significant. The analysis of available phosphorus content in the soil showed that the highest values recorded were 30.59 kg/ha in the first year, 26.92 kg/ha in the second year, and 28.75 kg/ha in the pooled data under treatment P₂, which corresponds to the application of the recommended dose of phosphorus. This indicates that moderate phosphorus application is more effective in maintaining higher residual phosphorus levels in the soil compared to other application levels. In contrast, the effects of varying nitrogen levels on available phosphorus were found to be non-significant, suggesting that nitrogen application does not have a notable impact on the residual phosphorus status in the soil. Similarly, the influence of different potassium levels on available phosphorus was also non-significant. These findings imply that the dynamics of phosphorus in the soil of the guava meadow orchard system are primarily driven by direct phosphorus fertilization, with minimal influence from nitrogen or potassium levels. These findings align with the observations of Santhy, (1995) [30] , Pothare et al. (2007) [27] and Jain et al.

(2020) [16] 3.3 Available Potash (K2O kg/ha) 3.3.1 Effect of nitrogen, phosphorus and potash An analysis of the data represented that soil available potash (K 2 O kg/ha) was found non-significant due to different levels of nitrogen and phosporus in the year 2022-23, 2023-24 and pooled data as in table 6.

The perusal data to soil available potash revealed that effect of different levels of potash on soil available potash (K 2 O kg/ha) was significantly affected in the year 2022-23, 2023-24 and in pooled data. Significantly highest available potash in the soil (307.39, 290.47 and 298.93 kg/ha) was observed with the application of the treatment K 3 in both the year and pooled data, respectively. Whereas, treatment K 1 was resulted lowest available nitrogen in the soil (285.74, 267.83 and 276.78 kg/ha) during both the year and pooled analysis, respectively.

Interaction effect

All the interaction effect of different levels of N, P and K on soil available potash (K 2 O kg/ha) during both the year and in pooled analysis was found non-significant.

The data on available potash content in the soil indicated that the highest values recorded were 307.39 kg/ha in the first year, 290.47 kg/ha in the second year, and 298.93 kg/ha in the pooled data, all under treatment K 3 , which represents the highest level of potassium application. This demonstrates a clear correlation between increased potash application and its residual availability in the soil. However, the effects of different levels of nitrogen and phosphorus on available potash content were found to be non-significant. This suggests that neither nitrogen nor phosphorus fertilization had a noticeable influence on residual potassium levels. These findings highlight that potassium accumulation in the soil is primarily driven by its direct application rather than interactions with nitrogen or phosphorus within the guava meadow orchard system. Gathala et al. (2007) [11] and Thanki et al. (2025) [41]

Conclusion

Based on results obtained from present investigation it can be concluded that various doses of N, P and K for meadow orchard system in Guava (withholding irrigation in March and pruning upto 90 cm during May) reported better on growth, yield attributing characters and soil N, P and K status. Among doses of nitrogen, treatment N 3 (90 g) recorded better for growth parameters viz. plant height and stem girth. Treatment N 3 (90 g) recorded higher yield parameters viz. number of fruits per plant, fruit weight (g), length (cm), diameter (cm) and yield (t/ha). Effect of phosphorus, P 2 (30 g) and Potash K 2 (30 g) was best in all the growth and yield parameters. For interaction effects, the treatment combination of N 3 P 2 (N:90 g and P:30 g) resulted in higher plant height and stem girth. Whereas, the treatment combination of N 3 K 2 (N:90 g and K:30 g) resulted in higher number of fruits per plant, fruit weight (g) and yield (t/ha). Hence, for getting better growth and flowering in meadow orchard of guava should be fertilized with N 90 g, P 30 g and K 30 g per plant for its individual effect.

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