Assessment of different custard apple genotypes for yield and quality parameters

The present investigation was carried out during 2018-19 at All India Coordinated Research Project on Arid Zone Fruits, Department of Horticulture, Mahatma Phule Krishi Vidyapeeth, Rahuri on 8 years old orchard established during 2008-09 to evaluate the six different custard apple cultivars collected from different horticultural institutes of the country with cv. Balanagar as check. The experiment was laid out during the year 2018-19 in RBD with six treatments and four replications for studying the yield and quality parameters. It was observed that cv. Balanagar recorded the maximum number of fruits (60.40) and fruit yield (16.95 kg/tree). Maximum average fruit weight (293.80 g) was recorded in hybrid cv. Arka Sahan and it was at par with the cv. Balanagar (281 g). The results pertaining to fruit quality in terms of TSS and acidity, maximum TSS was observed in cv. APK-1 (28.9° Brix) and it was at par with the hybrid cv. Arka Sahan (28.0° Brix), while non-significant results were obtained with respect to acidity. Maximum pulp per cent (61.40%), TS (21.80%) and RS (18.40%) with minimum rind per cent (28.00%) was recorded in hybrid cv. Arka Arka Sahan than the check variety Balanagar. Minimum seed per cent (8.10%) was observed in cv. Balanagar, which was at par with the Arka Sahan (8.52%). Minimum values for NRS (2.25%) were recorded in APK-1.