Response of foliar fertilization of micronutrients on fruit growth and yield in lowchill peach cv. Sharbati

This investigation was carried out during the year 2010 and 2011 on seven year old “Sharbati” peach trees, grown at Horticulture Research Centre, G B Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar, Uttarakhand. The experiment was designed (RBD) to study the effect of foliar spraying of boron, zinc and iron and its combination on fruit growth pattern, yield and yield attributing characters of the low-chill peach. Boric acid (0.1%), zinc sulphate (0.5%) and ferrous sulphate (0.5%) were used as a source of boron, zinc and iron, respectively. All the trees fertilized with same NPK dose (300:500:300 as N, P₂O₅ and K₂O) as per recommendation. The spraying was done twice; during last week of February, i.e., after petal fall stage and again at 15 days after the first spraying during both years in three replicates. Result proved that foliar spraying of peach trees with 0.1% H₃BO₃ + 0.5% ZnSO₄, 7H₂O + 0.5% FeSO₄, 7H₂O was the promising treatment for improvement of fruit growth, fruit length, fruit diameter, fruit volume and firmness of the fruit. This treatment was also found best for maximum fruit retention, average fruit weight as well as the fruit yield.