Enhancement of yield in nutmeg (Myristica fragrans Houtt.) through pruning

Abstract

Nutmeg (Myristica fragrans Houtt.) belonging to the family Myrsticaceae is unique among other spice crops as the donor of two distinct spices, nutmeg (dried seed) and mace (dried aril covering the seed). It is an evergreen aromatic tree, usually grows to a height of 10-20 m or even more with spreading branches. In commercial cultivation, development of suitable canopy structure would help to bear more number of fruits with synchronized flowering and facilitates ease of harvest. With this back ground, an experiment was set up to study the effect of pruning on nutmeg yield at ICAR- Indian Institute of Spices Research, Regional Station Appangala during 2014-2017. The four treatments selected for the study consists of cutting all the side plagiotropic branches at varying length of 1 m, 2 m and alternative side branches cut at 1m and 2 m length and control (without pruning). All the trees under study (including control) were detopped at a height of 17 ft. The treatments were replicated eight times. The observation on number of fruits, weight of nuts (fresh and dry) and weight of mace (fresh and dry) were recorded. No significant difference in yield parameters were observed in the first two years of pruning however, in third year, an increase in yield were recorded in moderately pruned trees (all side branches cut at 2 m and alternative side branches cut at 1m and 2 m length) as compared to control (un pruned) and severely pruned trees (all side branches cut at 1 m length). In third year of pruning, the side branches pruned at 2 m length produced more fresh (3136 g) and dry (1286 g) weight of nuts, fresh (536 g) and dry (548.50 g) weight of mace and number of fruits (205.37) over control. Hence, detopping combined with pruning all the side branches at 2 m length resulted in enhanced yield in nutmeg.