INFLUENCE OF FOLIAR APPLICATION OF ZINC AND BORON ON FLOWERING AND FRUITING OF MANDARIN (CITRUS RETICULATA BLANCO) AT MYAGDI, NEPAL

Govinda Lamichhane, Safal Adhikari, Pankaj Karki Dholi

DOI: 10.26480/bda.02.2023.73.76

ABSTRACT
A study was conducted during the spring season of 2022 to find out the effect of foliar application of micronutrients (Zinc and Boron) in flowering and fruit setting of mandarin (Citrus reticulata blanco) in Myagdi, Nepal. The experiment was laid out in a factor-randomized complete block design (RCBD) with five treatments and four replications. The treatments consist of foliar application of sole and combined application of Zinc and Boron namely: control (water spray), 0.2% Zn, 0.1% B, 0.15% Zn + 0.05% B, and 0.1% Zn + 0.1% B. Twenty mandarin trees of the same age and height from an orchard were chosen from the north-facing slope. The spray solution was formulated using standard procedures. The foliar application of the micronutrients was done twice, the first application was done days before flowering, and the second application was done after 2 days of full flowering. The data analysis was done using MS Excel and R-stat. Treatments had significant variations in total flowers and hermaphrodite flowers per branch, fruit diameter, fruit set, and fruit drop. Thus, our study showed that foliar spray of Zinc 0.1% + Boron 0.1% was the best for the production of more hermaphrodite flowers, for a higher fruit set percentage, and for a higher fruit retention percentage in Mandarin.

KEYWORDS
Zinc, Boron, Flowering, Mandarin