EFFECT OF PACLOBUTRAZOL ON FLOWERING, FRUITING AND NUT YIELD OF CASHEW (Anacardium occidentale L.)

摘要

An experiment was carried out to study the flowering, fruiting behaviour and nut yield characters of two distinct varieties of cashew viz., BPP-4 and BPP-6 as influenced by the soil application of paclobutrazol at 2, 4, 6 and 8 ga.i.tree~(-1) during 201) 1-02 and 2002-03 in sandy soil situation at Cashew Research Station, Bapatla, Guntur district, (A.P). The response of cashew varieties to the soil application of 6g a.i. per tree paclobutrazol increased the number of flowering shoots m~2, number of panicles m~2, hermaphrodite flowers panicle~(-1), percentage of fruit set, number of nuts panicle1, number of nuts reached maturity, and nut yield tree1. Similarly, reduced the number of non-flowering shoots m~(-1), duration of flowering irrespective of the varieties during both the years of study. Among the two varieties studied BPP-4 recorded maximum nut yield tree~(-1) in the years of study. The soil application paclobutrazol at 6 g a.i. tree~(-1) recorded the highest nut yield of 2.591 kg tree~(-1) over control to the tune of 257% increase and it was found to be beneficial under local agro-climatic conditions.