Influence of plant growth regulators on qualitative attributes and yield of pomegranate cv. Bhagwa under Red and Lateritic agro-climatic zone of West Bengal

Pomegranates are grown in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Pomegranate cultivation in West Bengal is expanding due to its drought-resistant nature, wider adaptability and suitability for marginal lands. The Potential of plant growth regulators in boosting the fruit size, yield and quality of pomegranate under agro-climatic conditions of southern West Bengal needs to be exploited. With this background, a research study was carried out to study the effect of plant growth regulators on flowering, fruiting as well as yield of pomegranate under the agro-climatic conditions of Bankura district. The present experiment was conducted during 2018-20 at four locations of Bankura district namely, Pathri, Bamunpathri, Damodarpur and Chhatna of West Bengal, where the Bhagwa variety of pomegranate had been planted at a spacing of 4.5 m × 4.5 m. The experiment was laid out in a randomized block design (RBD) with nine treatments and three replications: T1 - NAA @ 30 ppm, T2 – NAA @ 40 ppm, T3 - GA3 @ 75 ppm, T4 - GA3 @ 100 ppm, T5 - 2, 4-D @ 40 ppm, T6 - 2, 4-D @ 50 ppm, T7 – brassinolides @ 100 ppm, T8 – brassinolides @ 200 ppm and T9 - control. The study found that NAA at 40 ppm increased fruit yield, weight, length, diameter, number of arils, rind weight, juice content, sugar content and fruit diameter. GA3 at 30 ppm resulted in maximum flower buds, male flowers, hermaphrodite flowers, intermediate flowers, fruit diameter, rind thickness, fresh seed weight and TSS.