EFFECT OF FRUIT BAGGING TIME ON FRUIT QUALITY AND PEST DYNAMICS OF GUAVA (PSIDIUM GUAJAVA L.)

Abstract

Background: The present study entitled "Effect of fruit bagging time on fruit quality and pest dynamics of guava (Psidium guajava L.)" evaluated the impact of zinc sulphate spray, bagging time, and bagging material on fruit quality attributes and pest dynamics of guava (Psidium guajava L.). The field experiment was conducted in a randomized block design with 15 treatments and 3 replications, comprising two zinc levels ZnSO4 at 0.25% (Z1) and 0.50% (Z2), two bagging times 10 days after fruit set (T1) and 20 days after fruit set (T2), three bagging materials brown perforated paper bag (B1), white perforated polythene bag (B2), and blue perforated polythene bag (B3), two non-bagged zinc controls, and one untreated control. On pooled observations, treatment T₁₁ (Z2 + T2 + B2) recorded superior overall performance, showing maximum maturity (90.83%), fruit weight (194.81g), fruit volume (202.43 cm3), TSS (12.65 °Brix), which were statistically at par with T12 (Z2 +T2+ B3). However, T₁₁ recorded significantly higher pulp weight (189.99 g) and ascorbic acid (182.88 mg/100 g pulp) than all other treatments, alongside the lowest fruit drop (9.15%) and number of seeds per fruit (226.21). For pest suppression, however, T₅ (Z2 + T1 + B2) proved superior, registering the lowest pest infestation (0.95%). The untreated control consistently showed inferior performance. These findings indicate that 0.50% ZnSO4 combined with bagging at 20 days after fruit set, particularly using white perforated polythene bags, markedly enhances fruit quality and suppresses pest pressure in guava. The integrated use of zinc nutrition and timely fruit bagging can therefore serve as an effective pre-harvest management strategy for high-quality guava production.