EFFECT OF BIOREGULATORS AND ROOTSTOCKS ON GROWTH, PHOTOSYNTHETIC EFFICIENCY AND WATER RELATIONS OF NONPAREIL ALMOND

摘要

Almond orchards in Himachal Pradesh are planted on,the slopy lands that are mostly rainfed. Due to frequent drought conditions prevailing during the growing season, most of the new plants die. The use of rootstocks well adopted to dry conditions couldbe the most important in factor in the improvement of almond growing. But due to the nonavailability of clonal rootstocks in the states, bitter almond and wild peach are generally used. Use of new generation bioregulatanol and pachlobutrazol, reported to alter growth and water relations in other fruit crops can also improve almond plants performance under rainfed conditions, therefore present studies were undertaken.