Effect of Growth Regulators on Growth and Harvest Maturity in Kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosa)

The present study was conducted in the experimental farm of Department of Pomology, UHF, Solan. Three plant growth regulators, viz., NAA, 2,4,5-T and Ethrel were sprayed at different concentrations at stage II of fruit growth to study their effect on growth pattern, maturity and quality of fruits. None of the treatments were found to be effective in hastening harvest maturity (by slashing the period of slow-growth) although, size of the fruits increased with some treatments. Quality parameters like TSS, ascorbic acid, and sugar content increased in all treatments, while titratable acidity and flesh firmness decreased. Physical and biochemical analysis of fruits revealed that the fruits attained optimum maturity at 190 days after full bloom.