The osmotic dehydration of aonla fruit was carried out to optimize the time of the osmosis in the mixed solution of sugar and salt at the room temperature. The destined aonla fruits with and without blanching were immersed in the mixture of salt and sugar solution. The salt concentration of the osmotic solution was kept constant (100 g) and the sugar concentrations were varied to bring the concentrations to 35, 45 and 55 o Brix maintaining a fruit to syrup ratio of 1:3 by weight. The observations were recorded to study the influence of osmotic solution and time on water loss and solid gain. The results of osmotic dehydration showed the maximum water loss of 48.55 per cent recorded for blanched fruit osmosed at 55 o B and the minimum (27.61%) in unblanched fruit osmosed at 35 o B. The solid gain also was observed to be maximum (23.4%) in the blanched fruit compared to unblanched fruit (9.94%) at respective concentrations. The optimization process carried out using Design expert software showed the highest desirability of 0.785 for blanched aonla fruit osmosed at 55 o B.

The field experiment was conducted during 2014 and 2015 to assess the water saving, yield parameter, water use efficiency and economics of various drip irrigation systems like surface drip irrigation with mulching, surface drip irrigation without mulching and subsurface drip irrigation with each system having three sub treatment, viz. 80 100 and 120 per cent ET using drip irrigation. The above parameters are varied from season to season. For first season yield varied from 71.18 t/ha (80 per cent ET) of surface drip irrigation with mulching to 45.91 t/ha (120 per center) of subsurface drip irrigation and same trend followed in the second seasons. For first season (WUE) varied from 18.71 kg/m 3 (80 per cent ET) of surface drip irrigation with mulching to 8.10 kg/m 3 (120 per cent) of subsurface drip irrigation and same trend followed in the second seasons. The highest B: C ratio was found in 80 per cent ET (5.21) of surface drip irrigation with mulching and the lowest B: C ratio was found in 120 per cent ET (4.26) with subsurface drip irrigation and same trend followed in second season. The water saved in drip irrigation over 120% ET was found to be 32.90% and 16.5% for 80% and 100% ET respectively in first season and same trend followed in second season.

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Osmotic dehydration of aonla fruit was carried out to determine the Influence of osmotic solution and method of drying on the quality of aonla fruit. The destined aonla fruits with and without blanching were immersed in the mixture of salt and sugar solution. The salt concentration of the osmotic solution was kept constant (100 g) and the sugar concentrations were varied to bring the concentrations to 35, 45 and 55°B maintaining a fruit to syrup ratio of 1:3 by weight. The observations were recorded to study the influence of osmotic solution and time on water loss and solid gain. The subsequent drying was carried in hot air and vacuum driers at 50±5°C to a safe storage moisture level of 0.35 kg of water per kg of dry matter. The results showed the maximum water loss of 48.55% recorded for blanched fruit osmosed at 55°B and the minimum (27.61%) in unblanched fruit osmosed at 35°B. The solid gain was observed to be maximum (23.4%) in the blanched fruit compared to unblanched fruit (9.94%) at respective concentrations. Subsequent drying showed that drying was in falling rate and time taken was higher for untreated compared to treated. The blanching and method of drying had a significant effect on the quality of fruit. Colour was found better (Bright greenish-yellow) in blanched vacuum dried fruit followed by unblanched vacuum dried. The maximum amount of ascorbic acid was noticed in the freshly vacuum dried fruit (1780.2 mg/100 g) compared to osmosed fruits (534.8 to 1369.6 mg/100 g). Total sugar was found maximum in the osmosed vacuum dried fruit (82.2%) fruit compared to fresh once (24.6%) but the drying method had no significant effect on the retention of sugars.  The mean scores for sensory showed that overall acceptability was higher for blanched vacuum dried fruit followed by unblanched vacuum dried fruits.

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