Quality Enhancement of Pineapple cv. Queen Using Foliar Spraying of Growth Promoting Substances
Dibyasen Patra
Department of Fruit Science & Horticulture Technology, College of Agriculture, Odisha University of Agriculture & Technology, Bhubaneswar, Khurda, Odisha- 751003, India.
Bijaya Kumar Sethy *
College of Agriculture, Odisha University of Agriculture & Technology, Chiplima, Sambalpur, Odisha-768025, India.
Ranjan Kumar Tarai
College of Horticulture, Odisha University of Agriculture & Technology, Chiplima, Sambalpur, Odisha-768025, India.
Subash Chandra Swain
Department of Fruit Science & Horticulture Technology, College of Agriculture, Odisha University of Agriculture & Technology, Bhubaneswar, Khurda, Odisha- 751003, India.
Sushrita Nayak
Department of Fruit Science & Horticulture Technology, College of Agriculture, Odisha University of Agriculture & Technology, Bhubaneswar, Khurda, Odisha- 751003, India.
Chinmaya Jena
Department of Horticulture, M. S. Swaminathan School of Agriculture, Centurion University of Technology and Management, Paralakhemundi, Gajapati, Odisha- 761211, India.
Akash Oram
College of Agriculture, Odisha University of Agriculture & Technology, Bhawanipatna, Kalahandi, Odisha-766001, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
The major attributes of pineapple include a strong aroma, crisp golden pulp, and sweetness. However, uneven fruit size, high core and peel percentages, and poor sugar-to-acid ratios limit its suitability as a dessert fruit and reduce fruit recovery during industrial processing. A field experiment was carried out during the 2023-2024 growing season at the Horticultural Research Farm, College of Agriculture, OUAT, Chiplima, Sambalpur, India, to examine the effects of secondary and micronutrients (calcium in the form of CaCl2 and boron as borax at 0.5 and 1.0%) and plant growth regulators (GA3 at 100 ppm and NAA at 200 ppm), applied singly and in combination. The experiment was laid out in a randomised block design (RBD) with 15 treatments and three replications. Physical allocation and sensory properties were significantly influenced by the foliar applications. Foliar application of 1.0% calcium through CaCl2 + NAA @ 200 ppm (T10) recorded the highest fruit volume (476.4 ml), the highest absolute pulp weight (393.3 g), and the lowest proportion of core (4.81%). It also recorded high TSS (16.60 °Brix), low titratable acidity (0.79%), and the highest TSS:acid ratio (21.01). In contrast, the highest relative pulp percentage was observed with foliar application of 1.0% borax (T4), owing to the reduced peel percentage (21.95%). Total and reducing sugars were highest with 1.0% borax + NAA @ 200 ppm (T14), while ascorbic acid was highest with 1.0% borax + GA3 @ 100 ppm (T13), at 20.60 mg/100 g. Control fruits (T15) had poor physical parameters, the lowest edible pulp content (205.0-250.0 g), and the highest acidity (1.56%). Therefore, foliar application of calcium chloride (1.0%) with synthetic auxin (NAA @ 200 ppm), or boron at the 40-leaf stage, is suitable for 'Queen' pineapple.
Keywords: Pineapple, foliar application, calcium, boron, NAA, gibberellic acid, ascorbic acid