Response of fruit thinning on yield and quality of peach cv. Red June

The present experiment was laid out to study the response of fruit thinning on yield and quality of peach cv. Red June. Treatments consisted of foliar sprays of NAA (25, 50 and 75 ppm), ethrel (100, 200 and 300 ppm), thidiazuron (10, 20 and 30 ppm) at two weeks after petal fall and hand thinning of fruits to the intensity of 10, 20 and 30% at pea stage and unthinned control. Foliar spray of ethrel @ 300 ppm significantly increased the fruit thinning (29.05%), whereas, tree sprayed with NAA @ 75 ppm resulted in least fruit drop (5.87%). Different thinning treatments resulted in decreased yield as compared to control in which highest fruit yield was recorded (15.21 kg/tree). The maximum fruit weight, fruit length, fruit breadth, fruit volume, pulp to stone ratio, total soluble solids, ascorbic acid, total sugar and reducing sugar with minimum fruit firmness and titratable acidity were recorded in fruits harvested from the trees sprayed with ethrel @ 300 ppm followed by ethrel @ 200 ppm. Therefore, it can be concluded that ethrel @ 300 ppm was found as most effective chemical thinner when applied two weeks after petal fall in peach cv. Red June as it produces superior quality fruits.