Comparative analysis of growth regulators on fruit splitting and quality in Daisy mandarin grafted on Carrizo citrange

ABSTRACT Fruit splitting is a major physiological disorder in Daisy mandarin, affecting both yield as well as the quality of fruits. The present study was conducted to examine the effect of salicylic acid (SA) and some other growth regulators on reducing the fruit splitting and enhancing the yield and quality parameters of Daisy mandarin. The experimental treatments included varying concentrations of GA3;10, 20, and 30 ppm, NAA; 10, 20, and 30 ppm, Ethephon 10, 20, and 30 ppm, SA; 100 and 200 ppm, along with control, applied at different developmental stages of Daisy mandarin. Results indicated that the foliar application of SA at 100 ppm concentration effectively reduced the incidence of fruit splitting. Additionally, the foliar application of 10 ppm GA3 was found effective in improving the yield related attributes. Moreover, quality attributes such as total soluble solids, total phenolic content and antioxidants activity during both growing seasons showed marked improvement with the GA3 treatment. Conclusively, the study demonstrated that the foliar application of 100 ppm SA is effective in mitigating fruit splitting, while a 10 ppm GA3 optimises yield and quality attributes across two years. This research provides actionable insights into growth regulator applications to improve Daisy mandarin production.