Effect of boric acid on fruit set, yield and fruit quality of apple cv. royal delicious

The Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Shimla conducted on farm trial on apple during 2018 and 2019 at five locations Karalash, Bharethly, Gawana, Samala and Annu with the objective to determine the effect of boric acid on fruit set, yield and quality of apple cultivar Royal Delicious. There were five treatments with four replications for each treatment and three trees per replication. The treatments were T1- foliar application of boric acid (0.1%) at pink bud stage, T2- foliar application of boric acid (0.1%) in June (farmer’s practice), T3- foliar application of boric acid (0.1%) in May and repeated in June, T4- foliar application boric acid (0.1%) at pink bud and repeated in May and T5- Control (water foliar application). The maximum fruit set, fruit weight, yield, TSS, total and reducing sugars was recorded in tree sprayed with treatment T4 (boric acid (0.1 %) at pink bud stage and repeated in May). The per cent increase in yield over farmer’s practice and control was 22.30 and 27.78 per cent, respectively.