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ROLE OF GROWTH REGULATORS ON PREHARVEST FRUIT DROP, YIELD AND QUALITY IN KINNOW MANDARIN

M. AZHER NAWAZ^*, WAQAR AHMAD, SAEED AHMAD AND M. MUMTAZ KHAN

Abstract: The study was undertaken to envisage the effect of growth regulators on preharvest fruit drop and quality of Kinnow mandrin (Citrus reticulata Blanco). Various concentration of 2, 4-D, GA₃ and NAA were applied during the last week of November, 2005 to check the impact of various treatments on preharvest fruit drop, yield and fruit quality. Exogenous application of growth regulators significantly decreased preharvest fruit drop percentage, leading to increase in total number of fruits per plant, fruit weight, juice percentage, total soluble solids, acidity, vitamin-C, reducing sugars and non reducing sugars %age while no effect was observed on fruit size. Auxin (2,4-D and NAA) performed better compared to gibberellins.

Institute of Horticultural Sciences, University Of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan.

^*E-mail address: azher490@hotmail.com