Synergistic Effects of Gibberellic Acid and Brassinosteroids on Fruit Development, Yield and Quality in Kokum (Garcinia indica)

AbstractKokum (Garcinia indica) is an under utilized fruit crop native to the Sahyadri mountain range valued for its health benefits and applications in various industries. Despite its potential, Kokum cultivation faces challenges such as low yield and sub-optimal fruit quality. This investigation undertaken at Sahaja Farms, Kokada in the Uttara Kannada district during the 2022–2023 cultivation cycle explored the modulatory effects of gibberellic acid (GA3) and brassinosteroids (BRs) on the qualitative and quantitative parameters of Kokum fruit. Employing a Randomized Block Design encompassing nine different treatments with triplicate replications, the study discerned that foliar administration of BR at 1 ppm synergized with GA3 at 100 ppm (T8) elicited remarkable augmentation in fruit biometrics in achieving a mass of 35.37 g, a length of 4.23 cm, a circumference of 12.60 cm, and an elevated productivity yield (42.60 kg/tree). Additionally, T8 (BR @ 1 ppm + GA3 @ 100 ppm) enhanced total soluble solids (15.65 °brix), titratable acidity (4.25 %), ascorbic acid content (9.96 mg/100 g), reducing sugar, non-reducing sugar and total sugar (5.98, 5.29 and 11.17 %) and anthocyanin content (2.37 g/100 g). The synergistic effects of BRs and GA3 promoted cellular activities and biochemical efficiency, contributing to improved crop performance which highlighted the efficacy of BRs and GA3 in enhancing Kokum cultivation outcomes.