Management Practices Influence the Yield and Quality of Hog plum (Spondias mombin L.)

Abstract

A research study was experimented at Gava village in Banaripara Upazila, Barishal district to identify the optimal management approach for cultivating hog plum on sorjan beds with the objective of increasing the yield and quality of hog plum. The experiment was carried out for two consecutive years 2021-2022 and 2022-2023. BARI Amra-2, a well-known hog plum variety, released by the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute in 2007 used for the study. The experiment was conducted with a randomized complete block design (RCBD) having three replications. The treatments used in the study: T1 = Control (Earthing up), T2 = Earthing up + Spraying (Against insectpest), T3 = Earthing up + RDF (Recommended dose of fertilizer), T4 = Spraying + RDF, T5 = Earthing up + Spraying + RDF. The plot size was 16 m2 . Each plot except control one received 15 kg of cowdung annually, alongside 150 g nitrogen, 70 g phosphorous, 150 g potassium, 30 g sulphur, and 2.5 g boron. These nutrient elements were converted and applied in the form of urea, triple super phosphate, muriate of potash, gypsum and boric acid, respectively. The treatments incorporated during the cropping years of 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 had a significant impact on various parameters such as tree height, single fruit weight, fruit length and diameter, number of bunches per tree, fruit yield per tree, yield per hectare, marketable yield per tree and per hectare, yield increase over control, shelf life, TSS%, and vitamin C content. The treatment T5, which included earthing up, spraying against insect-pests, and RDF, resulted the highest values. In two consecutive years, treatment T5 which incorporated earthing up with recommended dose of fertilizer and spraying against pest and diseases resulted the highest marketable yield, with an magnificent quantity of 34.88 and 36.13 t/ha.