Phenological attributes, fruit set, fruit drop, yield and quality of Khasi mandarin Orange as influenced by application of organic amendments and biodynamic preparations

The present study investigated the effects of applying organic amendments and biodynamic preparations on phenological attributes, fruit set, fruit drop, yield and quality of Khasi mandarin orange (Citrus reticulata Blanco). There were eleven treatments; T1: farmyard manure (FYM); T2: vermicompost (VC); T3: pig manure (PIM); T4: poultry manure (POM); T5: neem cake (NC); T6: FYM + cow pat pit (CPP) + biodynamic preparation (BD) 500 + BD 501; T7: VC + CPP + BD 500 + BD 501; T8: PIM + CPP + BD 500 + BD 501; T9: POM + CPP + BD 500 + BD 501; T10: NC + CPP + BD 500 + BD 501 and T11: control (RDF). The results revealed that the use of combinations of organic amendments and biodynamic preparations influenced the phenology, fruit drop, fruit set, yield and quality of the mandarin. Among different treatments, POM + CPP + BD 500 + BD 501 (T9) had the lowest number of days from flowering to fruit set and from fruit set to ripening. The same treatment also had the highest % fruit retention, lowest % fruit drop and highest number of marketable fruits. T9 also resulted in the highest weight, length, diameter and volume of the fruit, the highest pulp weight, pulp thickness and pulp:peel ratio, lowest peel weight, highest juice content and second highest concentrations of reducing and total sugars. Hence, T9 was considered an effective combination in terms of influencing the phenology, fruit drop, fruit set, yield and quality of Khasi mandarin.