Vol. 12, Issue 2 (2023)

Author(s):
Priyanka G More and UA Raut

Abstract:
A field experiment on “Effect of severity of pruning on plant growth, flowering, fruit yield and quality of dragon fruit” was conducted at an Experimental farm, Department of Fruit Science, Dr. Panjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth, Akola during the year 2021-22 with objectives to study the effect of different severity of pruning on vegetative growth, flowering, fruit yield and quality of dragon fruit under Akola condition. To find out the optimum severity of pruning for better vegetative growth, flowering, fruit yield and quality of dragon fruit under Akola condition. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Block Design (RBD) with five treatments which were replicated four times. The observations in respect of before pruning, after pruning and chemical evaluation, were recorded of dragon fruit. The results obtained during the course of the investigation are summarized in the following paragraphs. The result reveals that the level of pruning at canopy pruned 50% cladodes remove / pole at 90, 180 and 270 days of dragon fruit was found significantly superior for the number of new shoots formed/post (7.28), length of cladodes (34.7cm), the girth of main stem segment (4.92 cm), the average circumference of cladodes (18.12), plant canopy of mop top north to south (52.65 cm), plant canopy of mop top east to west (58.81 cm), total floral bub/post (14.40), the total number of fruit/post (12.96), yield/post (2.95 kg). Quality parameters recorded after harvesting of dragon fruits canopy pruned 40% cladodes removed from/pole was found significantly superior for fruit weight (229 g), pulp weight (146.56 g), skin weight (82.44 g), fruit length (25.60 cm), fruit breadth (26.00 cm), fruit volume (155cm³), pulp recovery ratio (66.85%). Chemical parameters recorded during studies and observed that TSS (15.21⁰Brix), reducing sugar (4.72%), non-reducing sugar (3.94%), total sugar (8.25%), ascorbic acid (2.4mg/100g) canopy pruned 20%, 40% cladodes remove from/pole was found significantly superior for successful pruning in dragon fruit.