Department of Fruit Science, Dr YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, Solan, Himachal Pradesh- 173230
*Corresponding author: sharmagirish.58@gmail.com
Online published on 1 May, 2014.
A study was conducted to determine floral and physico-chemical characters of eight cultivars of Japanese plum (Prunus salicina Lindl.). Time, duration of flowering and size of floral components was determined and pollens were studied for their morphology, viability and germinability. The data on fruit size, weight, colour, stone size, firmness and adherence of stone and physico-chemical characters were recorded. The time of bud burst varied for about one month and average total number of flowering days was 15.37. Earliest flowering was observed in florida 1–2 and last in AU-Rosa. Pollen length and breadth varied from 33.18 to 43.46 μm and 19.98 to 26.19 μm while pollen fertility ranged from 72.60 to 84.65 per cent. Pollen germination was highest in santa rosa (66.57 per cent) after 72 hours. Cultivar fortune was the best in terms of fruit weight whereas cvs. Au-Rosa, fortune, queen rosa and frontier were found superior for fruit characteristics. Highest TSS was found in au-rosa (15°B) while total sugars were maximum in Frontier. Frontier and Red Beaut were found to be free stone while other cultivars were cling stone.
Anthesis, Dehiscence, Flower bud development, Flower morphology, Japanese plum
