Improvement in production and fruit quality of semi-soft pear by girdling

Abstract

A study was conducted with the objective to improve fruit qualit y in semi-soft pear and find out the plant part and stage of growth for girdling. In semi-soft pear cultivar Punjab Beauty under sub-tropics of northern India, considerable increase in fruit retention, fruit productivity, fruit weight, size and colour coordinates was noted with girdling treatments, viz., trunk girdling (TG), limb girdling (LG) and sub-limb girdling (SLG) applied at flower initiation (FI), 15 days after flower initiation (15 DAFI) and 30 days after flower initiation (30 DAFI) over control. The fruits with best quality attributes in terms of juice, soluble solids content, SSC/ TA ratio, total sugars and low titratable acidity were observed under limb girling performed at 15 DAFI. Girdling treatments also significantly advanced the physiological fruit maturity ove r the untreated tree.