Effect of Paclobutrazol on Flowering, Fruiting and Yield of Cashew (Anacardium occidentale L.) in West Coast Region of Karnataka

Abstract

An investigation was carried out for three consecutive years 2011-13 years to study the influence of Paclobutrazol (PBZ) on flowering, fruiting and yield of cashew cultivar ullal3. The various doses of paclobutrazol i.e. 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0 g a.i., per plant was applied as soil drench annually, biennially and once in three years in the month of October before vegetative flushing of plants. The application of paclobutrazol @ 2.0 g a.i per plant found effective in improving flowering and fruiting parameters of cashew. The sex ratio ranged from 0.17 to 0.27 percent in treated plants while in untreated plants it was 0.15 to 0.21 percent. The number of flower panicles per plant ranged from 53.5 to 68.4 in treated plants while in untreated plants it was 53.5 to 62.7. The length and width of flower panicles ranged from 11.6 to 17.3 cm and 16.5 to 23.3 cm respectively, in treated plants while, in untreated plants, 17.1 to 18.1 cm and 22.8 to 23.6 cm respectively. The PBZ treated plants recorded nut length of 3.0 to 3.3 mm, nut width of 2.4-2.5 mm, nut weight of 6.63 to 7.56 g and nut volume of 6.84-7.74 cc while in untreated plants nut length of 3.0 to 3.2 mm, nut width of 2.4-2.5 mm, nut weight of 7.02 to 7.36 g and nut volume of 7.25-7.64 cc respectively. The average yield of treated plants ranged from 0.76 kg to 1.13 g/plant while, in untreated plants nut yield of 0.67 to 0.73kg per plant