Department of Horticulture, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana 141 004
The fruit showed sigmoid curve with 3 distinct phases from 15 May to July 15; 15 August to 15 November and 29 November to 8 February. The TSS content as sugars increased while juice acid decreased during the entire period of fruit growth, whereas ascorbic acid content increased initially and decreased with the advancement of fruit maturity. Three periods of fruit drop were also observed, viz. first extensive fruit drop occurred on 15 May (29.16%), second from mid-May to mid-June (5.84%) and third between mid-September and mid-October (7.33%). The chlorophyll content of the fruit peel reduced to minimum, whereas total carotenoids showed a continuous increase as the fruit approached ripening. Thus, it can be concluded that the best harvesting time of kinow fruits falls between mid-January and first week of February under Ludhiana conditions.
