Abstract

The findings of present investigation revealed that the application of 80 kg farm yard manure (FYM) per plant significantly increased trunk diameter (9.47%), fruit yield (25.22 kg/tree), number of fruits (212.75 fruits/tree), average fruit weight (118.22 g), fruit diameter (5.96 cm), fruit length (5.58 cm), volume of fruit (129.71 cc), peel weight (32.95 g), weight of sacs (85.27 g), juice percentage (48.30%), TSS (12.11 °B), ascorbic acid (26.37 mg/100 g edible portion), total sugar (6.63%), reducing sugar (2.92%), non-reducing sugar (3.71%), juice acidity (0.79%) (significantly minimum), phosphorus soil at 15 to 30 cm depth (12.50%), soil potassium at 0 to 15, 15 to 30 and 30 to 60 cm depths (0.74, 2.27 and 0.75%, respectively), leaf nitrogen (28.17%), leaf potassium (6.28%), leaf zinc (27.88%), leaf iron (5.47%) and minimum 29.92 days to 75% flowering, 52.58 days to fruit set at initial stage and 6.33% fruit drop at maturity. Whereas, application of FYM 60 kg per plant gave maximum B:C ratio (2.30) and net return (38472.31 Rs/ha). The application of 750 g nitrogen per plant gave significant maximum trunk diameter (8.99%), average weight (118.19 g), diameter (6.06 cm) and length of fruit (5.53 cm), peel weight (33.38 g), weight of sacs (84.80 g), volume of fruit (132.31 cc), titrable acidity (0.83%), leaf nitrogen (25.25%), leaf zinc (24.37%), leaf iron (3.46%) and minimum 55.60 days to fruit set at initial stage and 6.79% fruit drop at maturity. While the application of 500 g nitrogen per plant increased number of fruits (204.20 per plant), yield (23.19 kg per plant, TSS (11.37 °B), ascorbic acid (25.66 mg/100 g edible portion), total sugar (6.30%), reducing sugar (2.83%), non-reducing sugar (3.48%), B:C ratio (2.55), net return (39212.93 Rs./ha) and minimum 31.33 days to 75% flowering. The combined application of 80 kg FYM and 750 g nitrogen per plant led to significant increase in plant height (15.20%), spread (N-S, 18.03%; E-W, 18.99%), canopy volume (81.81%), soil nitrogen at different depths (0 to 15 cm, 41.78%; 15 to 30 cm, 51.36% and 30 to 60 cm, 27.71%) over initial level.

Key words: Farm yard manure (FYM), nitrogen, kinnow mandarin, soil and leaf analysis, hot arid region, economical treatments, sandy soils, fruit yield.