PS Pawar, SD Sawai and BR Bhite

This field experiment on effect of different spacings and nutrient levels on growth, yield and fruit quality of acid lime (Citrus aurantifolia Swingle) cv. Phule Sharbati was conducted at ICAR-All India Coordinated Research Project on Fruits, Department of Horticulture, Mahatma Phule Krishi Vidyapeeth, Rahuri during the year 2018. The experiment was conducted in Factorial Randomized Block Design (FRBD) with nine treatments replicated three times. Plant spacings were S₁:6 x 6 m, S₂: 6 x 5 m and S₃: 6 x 4 m. Nutrient levels were L₁:75% N (Inorganic source) + 25% N (Organic source-FYM) + 100% P and K (100% Inorganic – P and K supplied through FYM), L₂:50% N (Inorganic source) + 50% N (Organic source-Vermicompost) + 100% P and K (100% Inorganic – P and K supplied through Vermicompost) and L₃: 100% Inorganic only. There were nine treatment combinations. The study revealed that, the treatment T₂ (S₁ L₂) i. e. recommended spacing 6 x 6 m with 50% N (Inorganic source) + 50% N (Organic source-Vermicompost) + 100% P and K (100% Inorganic – P and K supplied through Vermicompost) proved superior and recorded the maximum canopy volume (36.45 m³), stem girth (49.91 cm), number of fruits/tree (1690.80), fruit weight (47.75 g) and yield (80.73 kg/tree). Whereas, the treatment T8 (S₃ L₂) i. e. spacing 6 x 4 m with 50% N (Inorganic source) + 50% N (Organic source-Vermicompost) + 100% P and K (100% Inorganic – P and K supplied through Vermicompost) recorded the maximum fruit yield (26.08 t/ha) because of more number of trees per hectare. The treatment T₃ (S₁ L₃) i. e. recommended spacing 6 x 6 m with 100% Inorganic only recorded the maximum juice (45.85%), TSS (7.40 ^oB), acidity (7.23%), ascorbic acid (35.66 mg/100 ml juice), reducing sugars (0.93%), non-reducing sugars (0.96%) and total sugars (1.88%) with minimum weight of seeds/fruit (0.54 g) and rind thickness (1.23 mm). The general appearance and acceptance of the fruit quality was better in the treatment T₃ (S₁ L₃) than rest of the other treatments.

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