Effect of Boron for Correcting the Deformed Shape and Size of Jackfruit

Abstract

A field study on jackfruit (cv. local) was conducted at Brown Hill Soils (Eutrochrepts) of South Eastern Hilly regions (AEZ/29) under Hill Tracts Agricultural Research Station, Ramgarh, Khagrachri during the years of 2002-2003 and 2003-2004. The objective was to reduce the number of deformed fruits through boron fertilization and to obtain increased number of normal fruits/tree. Four levels of boron (0, 5, 10 and 15 g tree^-1) and three age groups (10, 15 and 20 years) of jackfruit trees were considered in the study. The effect of boron application on plant of different age groups was found highly significant on flower and fruit characters of jackfruit. However, the highest level of boron applied (15 g tree^-1) to the highest age group of plants (20 years) produced significant number of normal fruits (78 and 140 tree^-1) and reduced the number of deformed fruits per tree in two consecutive cropping years 2002-2003 and 2003-2004, respectively. The highest mean normal fruits (111/tree) and lowest percent of deformed fruits (24%) were recorded due to application of highest level of B (15 g tree^-1). The significant increasing in female flowers and male to female ratio contributed towards the increased number of normal fruits having more fruit weight and normal size.

Key words: Jackfruit, boron, fertilization, deformed fruits.

doi:10.3329/jard.v6i1.1655

J Agric Rural Dev 6(1&2), 37-42, June 2008