Effect of foliar fertilization of boron, zinc and iron on fruit growth and yield of low-chill peach cv. Sharbati

This field experiment was carried out at Horticultural Research Centre, G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar (U.K.), India, during two consecutive years 2010 and 2011 on 7 years old peach trees cv. Sharbati. The experiment was designed in RBD to study the effect of foliar spraying of boron, zinc and iron and its combination on fruit growth pattern and yield attributing characters of the low-chill peach. Boric acid (0.1%), zinc sulphate (0.5%) and ferrous sulphate (0.5%) were used as a source of boron, zinc and iron, respectively. All the trees fertilized with recommended dose of NPK (300:500:300 as N, P2O5 and K2O). The spraying was done twice; during last week of February at after petal fall stage and again at 15 days after the first spraying during both years in three replication. Result proved that foliar spraying of peach trees with 0.1 % H3BO3 + 0.5 % ZnSO4, 7H2O + 0.5 % FeSO4, 7H2O was the promising treatment for improvement of fruit growth, fruit length, fruit diameter, fruit volume, firmness and fruit yield. This treatment was also found best for maximum fruit retention, average fruit weight as well as the fruit yield.