Effect of Time and Number of Pruning on Growth, Flowering and Fruitng Behaviour of Phalsa (Grewia asiatica L.) cv. Local

Phalsa fruit (Grewia asiatica L.) berries are one of the most effective source of bioactive food ingredients with multiple health benefits when consumed regularly. Phalsa fruit, seed and pulp contain numerous functional phytochemicals that can be used to treat various diseases, and have be found to be highly effective in improving respiratory and cardiac functioning. Pruning is essential for fruit bearing. Plants pruned in different months in a year for two times stimulate growth, flowering and fruiting. A field experiment carried out in the year 2019 and was laid out in Completely Randomized Design (Factorial) with 10 treatment combinations with 4 replications. Treatment P1N2 found significant with the length of shoot (125.12 cm), days taken to flowering (38.25), days taken to fruit set (67.87) and days taken to first picking (98.25). Treatment P2N1 (pruning in September i.e. 1st pruning) recorded higher shoot length i.e. 116.00 cm, while, P3N1 (pruning in October i.e. 1st pruning) and P3N2 (pruning in March after the completion of October crop i.e. 2nd pruning) found superior with number of picking during both the pruning i.e. 5.00 and 5.25 respectively. Treatment P4N1 (pruning in November i.e. 1st pruning) had higher number of sprouted shoot per cane i.e. 9.37. however, treatment P5N1 (pruning in December i.e. 1st pruning) was significant in days taken to flowering (44.25), days taken to fruit set (73.25) and days taken to first picking (102.12), while, P5N2 (pruning in May after the completion of December crop i.e. 2nd pruning) had more number of sprouted shoot per cane i.e. 10.18.