Effect of nutrient supplement on fruit set, yield and quality of apple cv red delicious under temperate conditions of Kashmir Valley

A field experiment was carried out to study the effect of foliar spray of different doses of nutrient supplement containing Boron (3%), Zinc (4% chelated), Copper( 0.1% chelated) and Molybdenum(0.02%) on apple fruit during 2016 and 2017 growing seasons. Nutrient supplement (Flower Power) was applied twice during blooming, first spray when 20 per cent flowering occurred and second ten days after first spray, at the rates of 0, 0.06, 0.08 and 1.0 per cent in randomized block design and fruit set percentage, fruit drop percentage, yield and various physical and chemical characteristics were studied. It was found that nutrient supplement @ 1.0 per cent resulted in highest fruit length (8.19 cm), fruit breadth( 8.04 cm), fruit weight (203.56 g), total sugars (11.05%), fruit set percentage (39.37%), yield (29.56 MT/ha) and least fruit drop (12.11%) in comparison to other treatments.