INFLUENCE OF TRAINING SYSTEMS ON GROWTH, YIELD AND FRUIT QUALITY OF POMEGRANATE 'KANDHARI'

An ideal training system is one that gives an annual production of high sustainable yields of good quality fruits. A trial was established in the experimental orchard of the Department of Horticulture, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana to evaluate the performance of pomegranage ‘Kandhari’ on four training systems. After planting in a square system at a distance of 4×4 m, the plants were trained on different training systems; bush, 15, 30 and 45 cm trunk height from the ground level. Four to five scaffolds emerging from the ground level in all directions were retained as a bush system. In remaining treatments, no shoot was allowed to emerge from ground level to the testing height on the stem of the plant. Data were recorded for growth, fruit number and fruit yield, size, and quality characteristics such as TSS, acidity, peel, rag, grain juice percentage were recorded and are presented in this paper. The results show that the plants trained to bush system had maximum tree spread and canopy area, while taller plants were observed in 30 cm trunk height trained plants. The average number of fruits was decreased with increasing stem height of plants and consequently yield also followed the same trend. Bush system trained plants also produced larger sized fruits and smallest fruits were recorded in 45 cm trunk height trained plants. Highest TSS and juice percentage was recorded in fruits harvested from bush trained trees. From these results it could be concluded that bush trained plants improves the productivity of pomegranate and offers the possibility to obtain high quality fruits.