Effect of Ambe Bahar fruiting periodicity on sex expression, fruit set and fruit quality of pomegranate (Punica granatum L) cv Mridula

This study investigated the periodic flowering behaviour of pomegranate cv Mridula during the Ambe Bahar season (March-May) in Hisar, Haryana, over two years (2017-2019). The experiment, conducted on nine-year-old plants, was laid out in a randomized block design with seven uniform plants. Observations included periodic sex expression (male, intermediate, hermaphrodite flowers), sex ratio, pollen viability, fruit set, fruit cracking percentage, fruit weight and juice content. Flowering extended from March to May, with the highest total flower production occurring in April. Male flowers were generally most numerous, followed by hermaphrodite and intermediate flowers. The proportion of male flowers increased, while that of hermaphrodite and intermediate flowers decreased, from March to May. The sex ratio (hermaphrodite to male flowers) gradually decreased from March (1.03 and 1.13) to May (0.36 and 0.32). Pollen viability of hermaphrodite flowers also showed a decreasing trend from March to May, ranging between 82.50 and 91.00 per cent. Fruit set was maximum in April (98.54 and 97.84% in 2017-18 and 2018-19 respectively). Fruit weight and juice content were not significantly influenced by the flowering period. However, fruit cracking was significantly affected. Fruits developed from March flowering exhibited the highest cracking (44.20 and 38.54%), which was considerably higher than fruits from April (28.62 and 26.98%) and May (25.23% and 25.00%) flowering periods in 2017-18 and 2018-19 respectively. These findings emphasize the importance of understanding periodic flowering behavior to optimize fruit management strategies, particularly for thinning and fruit retention, to mitigate cracking and enhance fruit quality in the Ambe Bahar crop in southwestern Haryana.