GROWTH, FRUIT SET, YIELD AND FRUIT QUALITY OF OLIVES (OLEA EUROPAEA L.) AS INFLUENCED BY NUTRIENTS AND BIO-STIMULANTS UNDER RAINFED CONDITION

A trial was conducted to study the influence of foliar applications of Triacontanol at 5, 10 and 20 ppm, Cytozyme at 0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 ml L^-1 Biozyme at 1.0, 2.0 and 4.0 mL^-l, N at 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5%, ZnSO₄ at 0.2, 0.4 and 0.6% and H₃BO₃ at 0.4, 0.6 and 0.8% on growth, fruit set, yield and fruit quality of olive ‘Leccino’ and ‘Canino’. ZnSO₄ applied at 0.4-0.6%, Triacontanol at 5 ppm, Brozyme at 2.0 ml L^-1, N (1%) and H₃BO₃ at 0.8% significantly increased summer flush growth. Different treatments of boric acid minimized leaf yellowing and leaf rolling significantly, whereas, ZnSO₄ at 0.4% caused greater reduction in shoot tip bending in comparison to the control. Higher fruit set was observed with the treatments of H₃BO₃ at 0.6-0.8%. Fruit drop was lower and yield higher in trees treated with H₃BO₃ at 0.4%, ZnSO4 at 0.6% and Triacontanol at 5, 10 and 20 ppm. Application of H₃BO₃ at 0.4 and 0.6% and ZnSO₄ at 0.2% significantly increased fruit size and weight over the control, in both cultivars.