THE ASIAN JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE Volume 9 | Issue 2 | Dec., 2014 | 301-304 AJH Visit us -www.researchjournal.co.in eISSN- 0976-724X RESEARCH PAPER DOI : 10.15740/HAS/TAJH/9.2/301-304 Article history : Received : 01.04.2014 Effect of different stionic combinations on fruiting Revised : 20.09.2014 Accepted : 06.10.2014 and quality of pear cv. PUNJAB BEAUTY P.P.S. GILL AND NAV PREM SINGH1 Members of the Research Forum ABSTRACT : The rootstock and/or inter-stock, and in particular their union with the scion, bring Associated Authors: about their effects upon the scion by influencing the endogenous hormones, water and mineral elements Department of Fruit Science, Punjab Agricultural University, LUDHIANA within the plant. Hence, the effect of various rootstocks and interstocks on growth, fruiting and quality (PUNJAB) INDIA of semi-soft pear cv. PUNJAB BEAUTY was evaluated at Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana during the year 2013. The results show great variability among different stionic combinations. Double combination of Patharnakh cutting/Punjab Beauty resulted maximum plant height while minimum growth was observed in T10 (Patharnakh cutting/ Patharnakh/ Punjab Beauty) treatment. Rootstock and interstock girth was maximum in T5 (Kainth large fruited/ Sucker/ Punjab Beauty) treatment while T10 combination recorded lowest values of rootstock and interstock girth. Similarly, scion girth of Punjab Beauty pear was maximum when Kainth small fruited was used as rootstock. The fruit number and yield per plant were recorded highest in T5 treatment while T15 combination resulted lowest yield. The fruit weight was maximum from double stoinic combination of Shiara/Punjab Beauty. The fruits from stionic combination of Sucker/ Sucker/ Punjab Beauty were softer, while T4 treatment resulted maximum fruit firmness. Double combination of Kainth small fruited/ Punjab Beauty resulted Author for correspondence : maximum TSS contents of fruits while the acid content remain unaffected by any treatment. P.P.S. GILL Department of Fruit Science, Punjab KEY WORDS : Rootstock, Interstock, Pear, Yield, Quality Agricultural University, LUDHIANA (PUNJAB) INDIA HOW TO CITE THIS ARTICLE : Gill, P.P.S. and Singh, Nav Prem (2014). Effect of different stionic combinations on Email : [email protected] fruiting and quality of pear cv. PUNJAB BEAUTY. Asian J. Hort., 9(2) : 301-304. ear is one of the most important temperate fruit crop Reil, 1990) since correct rootstock can determine the short being cultivated under sub-tropical conditions of north- and long term health of the trees. The ultimate effect of Pwestern India. It has long juvenility period and plants rootstock on the plant growth or yield is function of many already puts up significant vegetative growth before onset of primary effects of rootstock manifested in the scion. It has commercial bearing. Like most of other fruit plants, the pear been documented that the rootstock regulates plant vigour, too is vegetatively propagated. The suckers of Patharnakh nutrient uptake and ionic balance, stionic compatibility, and Kainth seedlings are two commonly used rootstocks for tolerance to soil and environmental stresses which ultimately propagation of pear in India. Suckers has a serious setback affects the fruit yield and fruit quality of scion cultivars of root suckering, while Kainth is free from it. However, (Westwood et al., 1971 and Chaplin et al., 1972). Hence, under subtropical conditions, the Kainth (Pyrus pashia) is these investigations were undertaken to investigate the effect widely used rootstock of pear. The plants this rootstocks are of different rootstocks and interstocks on the yield and quality vigorous in nature. Owing to large size these plants are attributes of pear cultivar Punjab Beauty. difficult to manage for various cultural operation like pruning, spraying and harvesting. So need has been felt to try some RESEARCH METHODS other combinations of rootstocks, and interstocks and study The present studies on effect of various rootstock their effect on plant growth and bearing behaviour of the interstock combinations on growth, yield and fruit quality variety. Selection of rootstock is an important consideration were undertaken during the year 2013 at Fruit Research Farm, in pear production (Lambard and Westwood, 1986, 1987, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, situated at 30° 56´ HIND AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH AND TRAINING INSTITUTE P.P.S. GILL AND NAV PREM SINGH N and 75° 52´ E with an altitude of 247 m above mean sea was removed at reading spot. Total soluble solids were level. Ten-years-old semi-soft pear cv. PUNJAB BEAUTY was determined using digital refractometer (ATAGO, Japan). For raised on various different stionic combinations. The plants acidity, fruit juice was titrated with 0.1 N NaOH and the were spaced at 6.5 m in square system of planting and results were expressed in terms of percentage of malic acid. maintained under uniform cultural management practices. Data obtained from experiment were pooled and subjected The experiment was laid out in Randomized Block Design. to analysis of variance (ANOVA) using statistical analysis There were fifteen treatments, two plants constituted the unit software package CPCS1 (Cheema and Singh, 1990). of treatment and each treatment was replicated three times. The combinations were T1- (Shiara/ Patharnakh/ Punjab RESEARCH FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION Beauty); T - (Shiara/ Sucker/ Punjab Beauty); T - (Shiara/ 2 3 Data presented in Table 1 show that different treatments Punjab Beauty); T - (Kainth large fruited/ Patharnakh/ Punjab 4 significantly influenced plant height and plant spread. The Beauty); T - (Kainth large fruited/ Sucker/ Punjab Beauty); 5 maximum plant height (5.00 m) was recorded in T treatment T - (Kainth large fruited/ Punjab Beauty); T - (Kainth small 12 6 7 which was significantly higher than all other treatments fruited/ Patharnakh/ Punjab Beauty); T - (Kainth small 8 except T , T , T , T and T treatments. Similarly, triple fruited/ Sucker/ Punjab Beauty); T - (Kainth small fruited/ 1 2 5 7 9 9 combination of Kainth small fruited/ Sucker/ Punjab Beauty Punjab Beauty); T - (Patharnakh cutting/ Patharnakh/ 10 resulted in lowest plant height of 4.05 m. In earlier studies, Punjab Beauty); T - (Patharnakh cutting/ Sucker/ Punjab 11 Kaundal et al. (1989) reported that four scion varieties, viz., Beauty); T - (Patharnakh cutting/ Punjab Beauty); T - 12 13 Baggugosha, Smith, LeConte and Patharnakh attained (Sucker/ Patharnakh/ Punjab Beauty); T - (Sucker/ Sucker/ 14 significantly greater plant height on Kainth rootstock as Punjab Beauty); and T - (Sucker/ Punjab Beauty). The plant 15 compared to pear suckers. Similar observation were put forth height was noted with help of graduated bamboo pole, while by Bajwa et al. (1972 and 1974) and Sharma et al. (1979). spread was noted with measuring tape on both East-West Similarly, North and Cook (2008) also reported that rootstock and North-South directions and then averaged. The data on had a significant effect on stem diameter and plant height. the section, rootstock and inter-stock girth were recorded Various stionic combination significantly influenced plant with the help of measuring tape. A random sample of 20 spread. The combination of Kainth large fruited/ Sucker/ fruits from each replication was taken for physico-chemical Punjab Beauty (T ) produced maximum plant spread followed analysis. The yield (kg/plant) was calculated at the time of 5 by T1 combination. The minimum plant spread (2.13 m) was harvesting by multiplying the fruit weight with number of registered in combination of Patharnakh cutting/ Patharnakh/ fruits per plant. Fruit weight was recorded by using electronic Punjab Beauty (T ) which was at par with spread of plants weighing balance and expressed in grams. Fruit firmness 10 in T4 and T11 treatments. Various interstock and rootstock was determined with hand held penetrometer (FT-327, USA) large fruited/ Sucker/ Punjab Beauty which was significantly by taking readings on opposite sides along the fruit equatorial higher as compared to rest of treatments, except, in T and region using 8 mm stainless steel probe. The skin of the fruit 9 Table 1 : Influence of different stionic combination on plant growth, rootstock, inter stock and scion girth of pear cv. PUNJAB BEAUTY Treatments Plant height (cm) Plant spread (cm) Rootstock girth (cm) Inter stock girth (cm) Scion girth (cm) T1 4.93 3.58 63.2 56.4 53.6 T2 4.91 2.53 61.0 63.0 49.3 T3 4.52 2.77 50.4 - 41.6 T4 4.26 2.24 48.5 44.3 41.3 T5 4.81 3.64 71.8 69.2 56.3 T6 4.43 2.91 56.6 - 47.0 T7 4.78 3.33 62.0 54.4 49.6 T8 4.05 2.69 49.3 58.3 39.3 T9 4.99 3.54 65.3 - 58.0 T10 4.14 2.13 40.4 37.2 36.6 T11 4.38 2.37 52.6 47.2 41.0 T12 5.00 2.91 57.8 - 51.6 T13 4.68 2.79 56.7 52.2 45.0 T14 4.54 3.12 65.2 53.3 49.3 T15 4.37 2.53 48.8 - 40.0 C.D. (P=0.05) 0.27 0.38 7.8 5.9 6.6 Asian J. Hort., 9(2) Dec., 2014 : 301-304 302 Hind Agricultural Research and Training Institute EFFECT OF DIFFERENT STIONIC COMBINATIONS ON FRUITING & QUALITY OF PEAR T14 stoinic combinations. The minimum stock girth (40.4 on tree vigour was greater when used as rootstock than as a cm) was observed in triple combination of Patharnakh scion. cutting/ Patharnakh/ Punjab Beauty (T10) which also recorded Different treatments significantly influenced number lowest plant spread. Interstock girth was maximum (69.2 of harvested fruit per plant. Maximum number of fruits per cm) in T5 treatment (Kainth large fruited/ Sucker/ Punjab plant (389) were obtained from plants raised on Kainth large Beauty) and minimum interstock girth was noted in T10 fruited rootstock using sucker as interstock (Table 2).