Impact of Plant Growth Regulators on Growth, Fruit Yield and Quality of Strawberry (Fragaria ananassa Duch.) cv. Winter Dawn
Manish Kumar Gautam *
Department of Horticulture (Fruit Science), Naini Agricultural Institute, SHUATS, Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, India.
Saket Mishra
Department of Horticulture, Naini Agricultural Institute, SHUATS, Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
The present study aimed to investigate the impact of plant growth regulators on the growth, yield, and quality of strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch) cv. Winter Dawn. A total of ten treatments were examined, including control (Water Spray), individual treatments of NAA (Naphthalene Acetic Acid) and GA3(Gibberellic Acid) and BA(6-benzvladenine). The experiment was conducted under controlled conditions, and various parameters related to vegetative growth, quality, and yield were evaluated.
The results demonstrated that treatment T9, combination BA (6-benzyladenine) 75ppm exhibited superior vegetative growth characteristics. Plants treated with T9 displayed increased plant height, Number of leaves, plant spread, petiole length, chlorophyll content, and early onset of flowering and first fruiting. Moreover, T9 also demonstrated remarkable performance in terms of fruit production, with a higher number of fruits, flowers, and excellent fruit set, and TSS, Acidity (%), and Ascorbic acid.
These findings highlight the beneficial impact of plant growth regulators on the growth, yield, and quality of strawberry plants. The combined application of BA (6-benzyladenine) 75ppm (T9) resulted in superior vegetative growth. These results suggest that the incorporation of Plant growth regulators in strawberry cultivation practices can be a promising approach to optimize both yield and fruit quality. Further studies are warranted to understand the underlying mechanisms and optimize the application dosage and timing of these bio inputs for sustainable strawberry production.
Keywords: Naphthalene acetic acid, gibberellic acid, BA(6-Benzyladenine), winter dawn