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Plant Science Today (PST)

Research Articles

Vol. 13 No. 2 (2026)

Modulation of yield dynamics in acid lime cv. Balaji during Hasta bahar through foliar application of novel plant growth regulators

DOI
https://doi.org/10.14719/pst.13332
Submitted
24 December 2025
Published
31-05-2026

Abstract

Acid lime (Citrus aurantifolia (Christm.) Swingle) belongs to the family Rutaceae and tends to stagger flowering in 3 major phases under South Indian conditions. Regulation of flowering and fruiting during Hasta bahar is highly beneficial for getting high fruit yield and quality, which would pave the way for high economic returns to the growers. There is a huge demand for Hasta bahar crop as fruits are fetching premium market prices. Hence, this study was undertaken to evaluate various novel plant growth regulators for enhancing flowering, fruit set and fruit yield of acid lime during Hasta bahar, which will be ready to harvest in the deficit season (summer). The treatments consisted of Putrescine at 0.17 mM (T1), Spermidine at 0.005 mM (T2), Spermine at 0.005 mM (T3), Salicylic acid at 200 ppm (T4), Brassinosteroid at 0.2 ppm (T5), Triacontanol at 2 ppm (T6), Methyl jasmonate at 10 ppm (T7) and Control (T8). These treatments were imposed as foliar spray, twice at an interval of one month in randomised block design (RBD) with 3 replications. The results clearly revealed that the spray of spermine application significantly increased the number of flowers per shoot (41.33). Spermidine reduced the days taken to first spraying to flower bud initiation (50.17), number of fruits per shoot at harvest (21.17), number of fruits per tree (650.00), fruit weight (44.88 g), fruit yield (8.11t/ha), juice content (56.79 %) and a higher benefit-cost ratio (3.24). The findings showed that spermidine, followed by putrescine and spermine, led to an increase in yield potential and productivity of acid lime under Hasta bahar.

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