Studies on the Effect of Plant Growth Regulators on Physical Parameters of Sapota [Manilkara achras (Mill.) Forsberg] cv. Cricket Ball under Agro-climatic Condition of Chhattisgarh Plains

The present investigation was undertaken during the year July/2020-June/21 and July/2021- June/22 at experimental field of Horticulture Instructional Farm, Department of Fruit Science College of Agriculture, IGKV, Raipur (C.G.), India. The experiment was conducted on twenty years old trees of sapota, Cricket Ball with foliar spray of different concentrations of plant growth regulators applied at 50 per cent flowering and pea stage of fruit growth. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Block Design with twenty five treatments, and three replication for each treatment. Thus, a total of 75 data collection made available at each time. Physical parameters of fruit viz., fruit weight (126.36 g ±31.07g), fruit volume (121.59 ml ±29.07 ml), fruit diameter (6.69 cm ±1.33 cm), fruit length (6.92 cm ±2.01 cm) and pulp weight (112.61 g ± 2.01 g) of sapota fruits were increased with the treatment GA3 @ 150 ppm, while, the peel weight (8.79 g ± 1.72 g) was reduced under the same treatment. The specific gravity (1.045 g ± 0.015 gml-1) was recorded maximum under the treatment ethrel @ 1000 ppm. However, a reduction in number of seeds per fruit (4.50 ± 2.08) and seed weight (4.38 g ± 0.78 g) was observed by the foliar feeding of NAA @ 100 ppm treatment. The consumer demand, which is usually based on physical characteristics of sapota fruit, can be improved by the application of plant growth regulators. On the basis of the experience gained and results obtained after completion of present investigation, the most appropriate concentration and their time of application should be standardized for different cultivars of sapota.