Effect of Fruit Bagging, Reflective Mulch and Foliar Potassium Spray on Quality of Apple

An effect of fruit bagging, reflective mulch and foliar potassium spray on quality of apple cv. Fuji Zehn Aztec was studied in high density Apple block of Division of Fruit Science, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir, Shalimar, Srinagar during 2016-2017. Treatments consisted of fruit bagging done at two time periods (4 and 6 weeks after petal fall), reflective mulch at two different widths (100cm and 75 cm), potassium sulphte spray at two concentrations (0.50% and 0.75%) and the all 4 combinations of reflective mulch and potassium sulphate spray, constituting total 11 treatments. The results revealed that fruit size and yield did not show any significant effect by any treatment, however the improvements with respect to total sugars, ascorbic acid, TSS, TSS: acid ratio and organoleptic rating were observed by all the treatments over control. Fruit firmness and acidity were decreased by all the treatments as compared to control. On overall basis the treatment consisting of potassium sulphate spray@0.75% + polyethylene reflective mulch (100cm) proved to be most appreciating wherein figures regarding fruit weight (178.20g), total sugars (15.04 %), ascorbic acid (5.97 mg/100g), TSS (18.80 %), TSS: acid ratio (89.52) and organoleptic rating (3.80/5) were above the values as recorded under other treatments. The study indicated that Fuji apple showed positive responses to application of fruit bagging, reflective mulch and foliar potassium spray in enhancing the fruit biochemical characters.