EFFECT OF BIOSTIMULANTS ON PHYSICAL AND QUALITY PARAMETERS OF BER (ZIZYPHUS MAURITIANA LAMK.) CV. APPLE BER

Abstract

Ber (Ziziphus mauritiana Lamk.) is an important arid and semi-arid fruit crop valued for its nutritional and economic significance. The productivity and fruit quality of ber can be improved through the application of biostimulants, which enhance plant physiological processes and nutrient utilization. Therefore, a field experiment was conducted during 2025–26 at the Dryland Horticultural Farm, SKS College of Agriculture and Research Station, Rajnandgaon, Chhattisgarh to assess the influence of different biostimulants on fruit characteristics, yield and quality of ber cv. Apple Ber. The experiment was laid out in a Randomized Block Design (RBD) comprising thirteen treatments with three replications, involving Panchagavya, Jeevamrit, Amrit Pani, moringa leaf extract, seaweed extract and humic acid applied at different concentrations. Among the treatments, foliar application of Panchagavya @ 3% (T₁) recorded superior performance for most of the growth, yield and quality parameters. The treatment T₁ recorded the highest fruit weight (56.55 g), pulp weight (51.97 g) and fruit yield (55.60 kg plant⁻¹ and 22.24 t ha⁻¹). It also resulted in the highest ascorbic acid content (89.65 mg 100 g⁻¹), total sugar (12.75%), reducing sugar (4.85%) and non-reducing sugar (7.90%). Fruit length (4.77 cm) and fruit diameter (4.62 cm) were also numerically highest under Panchagavya @ 3%; however, the differences among treatments for these parameters were statistically non-significant. Similarly, TSS, acidity, stone weight and specific gravity did not differ significantly among the treatments. Panchagavya @ 5% (T₂) ranked next to Panchagavya @ 3% and showed comparatively better performance for several of the studied attributes. The superior response to Panchagavya @ 3% may be attributed to its beneficial effect on nutrient availability, physiological processes and assimilate accumulation, which ultimately enhanced fruit development, pulp formation and biochemical quality. Based on the present investigation, foliar application of Panchagavya @ 3% can be considered a promising biostimulant treatment for improving yield and quality attributes of Apple Ber under the agro-climatic conditions of Rajnandgaon, Chhattisgarh. Further multi-season and multi-location studies are suggested to validate its consistency and economic feasibility under different ber-growing environments.