Effects of Chemical Thinning Agents on the Growth, Fruit Set, Yield and Quality of the Nectarine Cultivar 'Silver King'
Sharbat Hussain
Department of Higher Education, Government of Jammu and Kashmir, Srinagar (J&K), India.
Rifat Bhat *
Division of Fruit Science, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences & Technology of Kashmir, Shalimar-190025, Srinagar (J&K), India.
Mohammad Ahmad
Division of Fruit Science, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences & Technology of Kashmir, Shalimar-190025, Srinagar (J&K), India.
Sehrish Jan
Division of Fruit Science, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences & Technology of Kashmir, Shalimar-190025, Srinagar (J&K), India.
Arifa Gulzar
Division of Plant Pathology, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences & Technology of Kashmir, Shalimar-190025, Srinagar (J&K), India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
The investigation was conducted at the Research Farm of the Division of Fruit Science, SKUAST-Kashmir, Shalimar campus, during 2016 and 2017 to evaluate the effects of chemical thinning agents on vegetative growth, fruit set, yield, and fruit quality of the nectarine cultivar 'Silver King.' The chemicals tested, were Naphthalene Acetic Acid (NAA), Urea, and Ethephon and were applied after petal fall. The findings revealed that NAA (30 ppm) significantly enhanced vegetative parameters such as plant height, shoot elongation, and leaf area. Both NAA and ethephon effectively reduced fruit set and overall yield while improving fruit quality traits, including fruit size, weight, and coloration. Additionally, ethephon (150 ppm) accelerated fruit maturation by 7–8 days. These results indicate that chemical thinning, particularly with NAA and ethephon, holds potential for optimizing fruit quality and marketability in the 'Silver King' nectarine cultivar.
Keywords: Nectarine 'Silver King', Thinning agents, Chemical thinning, Naphthalene Acetic Acid (NAA), Urea, Ethephon