The Indian gooseberry is a monoecious tree and bears a unisexual flower where a high degree of cross-pollination is required for an ideal fruit set as well as better productivity. The fruit set, retention and yield in gooseberry depends on the nutritional and hormonal balance of the tree. The current work is based on the objective to estimate the fruit set, retention, sex ratio and yield in gooseberry after application of a recommended dose of fertilization (RDF) in association with farm yard manure (FYM) and biofertilizers (Azotobacter, Azospirillum and phosphate solubilizing bacteria). The maximum sex ratio was estimated in control (250.22 and 251.09) due to sufficient nitrogen fertilization. However, the highest fruit set, retention percent and yield per tree were reported with the treatment containing three-fourth of RDF in combination with Azotobacter, Azospirillum and PSB (phosphate solubilizing bacteria). Further, it was observed that about 25 to 50% replacement in RDF could be possible through biofertilizer application as a constant source of nutrients to trees.
Biofertilizers, flowering, fruiting, fruit yield, Indian gooseberry, microbial consortium, sex ratio
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