Thermal Time Utilization of Plum in Semi Arid Region of Gangetic Plain

Abstract

Plum prefers temperate climate thus a major crop of hills however, it has been found growing from higher hills in Srinagar to Jaipur in Rajasthan and areas around Delhi. It requires less chilling hours and can tolerate frost and high summers both, that is why it can be cultivated in both low temperatures to 0°C and up, highest up to 47°C in summers. Among the major Japanese cultivar the Kala Amritsari, Satluj Purple and Titron are planted at HAU farm in 2001 on which the present study was done during 2013-14. The overall growth was observed better in Kala Amritsari followed by Satluj purple and Titron which is a late maturing variety. The thermal time required by Kala Amritsari and Satluj Purple was at par but the Titron required more thermal indices. The heat use efficiency was observed highest for Kala Amritsari and lowest for Titron whereas the photothermal index was highest in Titron followed by Kala Amritsari and Satluj Purple. The thermal units explained the 94 per cent variation in fruit yield of Kala Amritsari, 87 per cent variation in Satluj Purple and 83 percent variation in fruit yield of Titron cultivar.

Studies on Flowering, Fruiting and Residual Effect of Some Breaking Dormancy Agents on Two Plum Cultivars

“…Chilling hours at or below 7.2 0c, 10.00c or 15.0 0c on flower buds of two plum cultivars under different treatments in 2014 and 2015 seasons. Date of rest termination was determined when 50 % Flower buds took the dome shape.It is obvious from table (4) that all bud break agents applied under study started opening of vegetative bud[15][16][17][18][19][20] days approximately earlier than the control plants in this study. In this respect(Dennis, 1994) stated that dormancy actually ends when further chilling no longer effectively hastens bud break.…”