Effect of Girdling on Yield and Quality of Kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosa Chev.) Raised hrough Different Propagation Methods

The present investigation entitled “Effect of girdling on yield and quality of kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosa Chev.) raised through different propagation methods was carried out during 2019–20 at Dr. YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni-Solan, Himachal Pradesh. Ten years old vines of uniform size and vigour, planted at 4.0 m × 6.0 m spacing were selected for the study. There were twelve treatment combinations. The experimental plants were raised through three different modes of propagation viz., in situ, grafting and own rooted (cuttings) which were planted in different sections of experimental orchard. Four different girdling levels namely; full (100% girdling), 1/2 (50% girdling), 1/4 (25% girdling) and no girdling were applied to the experimental vines. The grafted kiwifruit vines girdled upto 1/4 (25%) trunk girth by removing 2 mm bark in the last week of March exhibited best performance in terms of improvement in flower and yield parameters namely; number of flowers per shoot, per cent fruit set, number of fruits per shoot, total yield and graded yield.