Vol. 12, Issue 1 (2023)

Author(s):
Nikunj V Parakhiya, Dr. MV Patel, Jay B Gami and Harsh S Hathi

Abstract:
An investigation was carried out on “Effect of media on soft wood cuttings of pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) cv. Bhagwa at College Farm, College of Horticulture, S. D. Agricultural University, Jagudan, Gujarat, India during during 2020-2021. The experiment was laid out in Completely Randomized Design (CRD) and replicated thrice with twelve treatments and each treatment having 20 cuttings. The treatments were; T₁: Soil + Vermicompost (1:1), T₂: Soil + FYM (1:1), T₃: Soil + Vermiculite (1:1), T₄: Sand + Vermicompost (1:1), T₅: Sand + FYM (1:1), T₆: Sand + Vermiculite (1:1), T₇: Cocopeat + Vermicompost (1:1), T₈: Cocopeat + FYM (1:1), T₉: Cocopeat + Vermiculite (1:1), T₁₀: Soil + Vermicompost + FYM + Vermiculite (1:1:1:1), T₁₁: Sand + Vermicompost + FYM + Vermiculite (1:1:1:1) and T₁₂: Cocopeat + Vermicompost + FYM +Vermiculite (1:1:1:1). Among different treatments, T₁₁ [Sand + Vermicompost + FYM + Vermiculite (1:1:1:1)] exhibited minimum days taken for first sprout to appear (7.27 days), number of leaves per cutting at 90 and 120 days after planting of cutting (17.73 and 27.27, respectively), survival percentage of cutting at 120 days after planting (81.67%), shoot length at 120 days after planting (21.42 cm) and number of shoots per cutting at 120 days after planting (7.53). Substantial effect of treatment T₁₁ [Sand + Vermicompost + FYM + Vermiculite (1:1:1:1)] was detected in root parameters viz., root length at 120 days after planting (19.29 cm), number of primary roots per cutting at 120 days after planting (32.27) and fresh weight of roots at 120 days after planting (4.02 g). The highest gross return (₹1,225.00), net return (₹376.67) and BCR (1.44) were recorded with treatment T₁₁ [Sand + Vermicompost + FYM + Vermiculite (1:1:1:1)]. Hence, treatment T₁₁ [Sand + Vermicompost + FYM + Vermiculite (1:1:1:1)] proved its upper class amongst other treatments in the terms of shoot and root parameters and economics in pomegranate cv. Bhagwa.