Effect of Various Concentrations of Plant Growth Regulators and Mineral Nutrients on Quality Parameters and Shelf-Life of Aonla (Emblica officinalis Gaertn.) Fruit

An experiment was conducted during 2005 and 2006 to assess the effect of three levels each of naphthalein acetic acid (NAA) (10, 20 and 30 ppm), gibberellic acid (GA3) (25, 50 and 75 ppm), boric acid (0.5, 0.6 and 0.7 per cent) and calcium nitrate (0.50, 0.75 and 1.0 per cent) alongwith control, applied through foliar sprays on physico-chemical quality and shelf-life of aonla fruit cv. Banarasi. Fruit quality in terms of increase in total soluble solids (T.S.S), total sugar and ascorbic acid content but decrease in acidity was maximum with NAA at 30 ppm concentration and the physiological loss in weight (PLW) per cent was minimized and shelf-life increased to the maximum under 1.0 per cent calcium nitrate treatment. Among correlation studies, T.S.S. showed positive and significant correlation with total sugar at all durations, with ascorbic acid at 5 and 10 DAS and significant negative correlation with acidity at all durations of storage. The acidity revealed significant negative correlation with total sugar and ascorbic acid and significant positive correlation with pathological loss at all stages and with PLW at 5 and 15 DAS. PLW had significant negative correlation with ascorbic acid at all durations and with organoleptic ratings at 10 and 15 DAS and significant positive correlation with pathological loss at all durations of storage.