K. Sigdel and G.K. Shrestha

DOI

ABSTRACT

In Nepal, litchi flowers in Terai, inner Terai and foot-hills of Mahabharat range. But fruit set and retention is always a complex problem in this region with a number of factors involved in it. To overcome this problem an experiment was conducted at IAAS, Rampur, Chitwan during January to June 2003 in a splitplot design with 3 cultivars as main plot factor and 4 plant growth regulators as subplot factor. Variations on the effect of cultivars and PGRs on fruit set number and fruit retention number were noted. Muzaffarpur' and 'Rose Scented' litchies had maximum fruit set number and final fruit retention, but 'Calcuttia Late' had minimum fruit set and final retention. Fruit retention showed exponentially decreasing trend throughout the growth and development period starting from 36.9 to 47.4% on 10 days after fruit set (DAFS) to 6.7 to 9.6 % on 55 DAFS (at harvest). NAA retained 4.0% more fruits than that of control upto 40 DAFS.