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By: Hafizur Rahman, A. Akter, M. J. Rahman, M. A. Hossain, and M. M. Rahman.
Senior Scientific Officer, Horticulture Research Centre (HRC), Regional Agricultural Research Station (RARS), Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI), Jamalpur-2000, Bangladesh.
Principal Scientific Officer, Horticulture Research Centre (HRC), Regional Agricultural Research Station (RARS), Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI), Jamalpur-2000, Bangladesh.
Chief Scientific Officer, Post Harvest Technology Division, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI), Joydebpur, Gazipur-1701, Bangladesh.
Chief Scientific Officer, Pomology Division, Horticulture Research Centre (HRC), Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI), Joydebpur, Gazipur-1701, Bangladesh.
The study was carried out at the Horticulture Research Centre (HRC) Fruit Orchard, Regional Agricultural Research Station (RARS), Jamalpur, Bangladesh, during 2024–2025 to assess the influence of Plant Growth Regulator (PGR) (GA3) on flowering and yield attributes of litchi. The age of Litchi plants were 14–15 years old. The treatments are T1 = GA3 @ 50 mg/L on panicle before flower opening, T2 = GA3 @ 50 mg/L at 15 days after fruit set, T3 = GA3 @ 50 mg/L at 21 days after fruit set, T4 = GA3 @ 50 mg/L at 28 days after fruit set, T5 = GA3 @ 100 mg/L on panicle before flower opening, T6 = GA3 @ 100 mg/L at 15 days after fruit set , T7 = GA3 @ 100 mg/L at 21 days after fruit set, T8 = GA3 @ 100 mg/L at 28 days after fruit set and T9 = Control (water spray only). All treatments were applied after flowering. The flowering date of studied trees varied from 20.02.2025 to 16.03.2025. The early flowering occurred in the control treatment (T9) and late flowering was exhibited in T7 treatment. Among nine treatments, four treatments flowered in February 2025 and five treatments in March 2025. As a consequence, GA3 was found to be significant in case of all parameters. The T1 treatment induced significantly maximum (935) number of fruits per plant closely followed by T4 treatment (680), T2 treatment (670) and the minimum (150) in the T9 treatment. Maximum (18.80 g) individual fruit weight was found in T7 treatment closely followed by treatments T3 & T8 (18.60 g) and minimum (14.50 g) in control treatment (T9). Maximum fruit weight/plant (15.39 kg) was noted in T1 treatment followed by T4 treatment (12.25 kg), T2 treatment (11.97 kg) and lowest fruit weight/plant (2.79 kg) in control treatment (T9). Percentage of rotted fruit ranged from 20.12% to 46.76% by the effect of GA3 application. The highest rotted fruit was found in the control treatment (T9) and minimum (20.12%) in T7 treatment. Percentage of cracked fruit ranged from 8.68% to 54.62% by the effect of GA3 application. Fruit cracking of Litchi is 8.68% in T8 treatment followed by T2 treatment 8.76% was found to be significantly lowest, respectively. According to particular studies, GA₃ can lower the proportion of fruit cracking. By the effect of GA3, T4 treatment induced significantly minimum (1.39 g) aril weight at harvesting closely followed by T8 treatment (2.02 g). The maximum (4 g) aril weight at harvesting was presented with control (T9). The highest TSS (19%) observed in the T4 treatment and lowest (14%) in the T3, T6 and T9 (control) treatments. An increase in total soluble solids could indicate that GA3 facilitates the transport of sugars across membranes.
Keywords: Litchi, Plant Growth Regulator (PGR), GA3, growth, flowering, physical fruit quality, fruit yield
Citation:
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