Physicochemical and Organoleptic Characterization of Flavoured Pineapple Candy (Ananas comosus L.)

An experiment was conducted at the Post Harvest Technology, Department of Horticulture, SHUATS, Prayagraj (Uttar Pradesh) during the year 2022-2023. The pineapple (Ananas comosus L.) is a popular tropical fruit in India. It is well-known for its nutritional and therapeutic properties, but it is not an easy food to consume on its own. It has a lot of potential in processed forms like candy. Attempts are being made to create products that are not only nutritionally delicious but also consumer-acceptable. The medicinal, nutritional, and organoleptic quality of pineapple candy can be improved by mixing in different syrups such as mint syrup, rose syrup, tulsi syrup, ginger syrup, and cardamom syrup. The study followed a completely randomised design with three replications. The pineapple candy samples were examined for physicochemical changes after preparation and sensory evaluation was performed on a panel of 7 experts using a 9-point hedonic scale. These candies were kept at room temperature for around 90 days. The storage experiments demonstrated that total soluble solids and pH gradually increase till the end of the experiment, whereas titratable acidity and ascorbic acid decrease in decreasing order. Based on the organoleptic test results, treatment T3 (Pineapple + Sugar syrup @ 60% + Rose extract @ 10%) was determined to be the best-flavoured pineapple candy

Standardization of Method and Time of Budding in Jamun (Syzygium cumini Skeels)

The present investigation was conducted at the Research Farm of Department of Horticulture, SHUATS, Prayagraj, on 1-year old rootstocks of Jamun during the period June 2022 to October 2022 with the objective to find out the suitable time and method of budding in Jamun. The statistical design adopted for the experiment was Factorial completely randomised design (Factorial CRD) with three replications and eighteen treatment combinations. This study comprises of two methods of propagation i.e. T-Budding and Patch budding. The results revealed that among the methods of budding adopted Patch budding during the period 1-15th August was found to be exceptional in terms of highest percent success, number of branches, bud take, length of the new sprout, stem thickness, leaf area, number of leaves per plant, and number of days to bud sprout was best in terms of minimum days. Thus, based on the results obtained from the experiment Patch budding during the month of August was found to be the most effective for Jamun propagation

Effect of Seaweed Extracts on Growth and Yield of China Aster cv. Arka Archana under Prayagraj Agro Climatic Conditions

The objective of this study was to assess the effect of seaweed extracts on the growth and yield of China aster (cv. Arka Archana). Thirteen different treatments,along with control were employed in order to investigate their effects. The treatments consisted of two concentrations (2ML/L and 4ML/L) of Ascophyllum nodosum seaweed extract, two concentrations (2ML/L and 4ML/L) of Durvillaea potatorum seaweed extract, and application intervals of 5, 10, and 15 days.To ensure accuracy and reliability, each treatment in the study was replicated three times using a randomized block design (RBD).Various growth parameters, including plant height (cm), number of leaves, number of  branches, plant spread (cm), were examined to assess the plant's growth progress. The yield parameter was assessed by examining flower yield per plant, flower yield per plot, and flower yield per hectare.Among the different treatments, treatment T9 (2ML/L Ascophyllum nodosum applied at 15 days interval) demonstrated the highest values for various parameters, including plant height (53.41 cm), number of leaves (172.78), number of branches (25.40), plant spread (53.33 cm), flower yield per plant (367.15 g), flower yield per plot (2202.92 g), and flower yield per hectare (23.13 t). Conversely, the control group (water spray) exhibited the lowest values across all parameters. These findings led to the conclusion that foliar applications of 2ML/L Ascophyllum nodosum at 15 days interval have the potential to significantly enhance flower yield, making it a promising option for improving overall productivity

Effect of Edible Coating on Shelf-life Enhancement of Papaya (Carica papaya L.) at Ambient Conditions

An experiment was conducted on the effect of edible coating on shelf-life enhancement of papaya (Carica papaya L.) at ambient conditions. The main aim of this study was to increase the shelf life of papaya by using edible coating. Postharvest losses in fruits is a serious problem due to rapid deterioration during storage. Use of edible coatings over fruits is used to improve their quality and enhance the shelf life. The main purpose of this study was to assess the effect of aloe vera gel, beeswax, paraffin wax and gelatine coating in extending the shelf-life of papaya including physico-chemical changes under ambient storage conditions. The experiment was laid out in completely randomized design (CRD) with 7 treatments and 3 replications. The treatment consisted of coating material with Aloe vera gel 0.5% (T1), Aloe vera gel 1%(T2), Aloe vera gel 1.5%(T3), Beeswax 6% (T4), Paraffin wax 100% (T5), Gelatin10%(T6), Control(T7) and freshly harvested papaya fruits. Statistical analysis revealed that among all the treatments, the maximum effect on extending the shelf-life and delaying the ripening was recorded in paraffin wax coated papaya fruits. Therefore, coating of papaya fruits with paraffin wax can be suggested as a post-harvest treatment to enhance the shelf-life

Effect of Various Natural Preservatives & Natural Colouring Materials on the Quality of Ber (Ziziphus mauritiana) Candy

An experiment was carried out in the Post Harvest Technology laboratory, Department of Horticulture, Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology and Sciences, Allahabad (Uttar Pradesh) during the year 2022-2023. The experiment consisted of 10 treatments and 1 control. The investigation laid out in Completely Randomized Design with three replications. Ber candy was stored for 80 days at ambient temperature. From storage studies it was revealed that T3 ( jaggery + ginger ) performed best in terms of quality ( taste, flavour, overall acceptibility ) and storage. With a fairly high Benefit-cost ratio of 2.34.On the basis of results it is concluded that treatment T3 be used for commercialization. The results indicated that the quality observations and sensory evaluation are affected by various treatments

Effect of Different Indole Butyric Acid Concentrations on Air Layering in Olive (Olea europaea L.)

The present investigation was carried out in the Department of Horticulture, Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture Technology and Sciences, Prayagraj in August 2022 to December 2022. The experiment was conducted to evaluate the best IBA concentrations among different concentrations of IBA for producing best layering and survival percentage in Olive. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Block Design having 8 treatments and replicated 3 times. The treatment T4 in which IBA 4000 ppm was applied for air layering was found to be best in terms of shoot and root parameters observed, i.e., Number of days to root formation (46.11), Number of roots per layer (7.33), Root length (6.73 cm), Root thickness (1.66 mm), Number of new sprouts (2.67-1MAP, 3.89-2MAP & 5.67-3MAP), length of new shoot (2.78cm-1MAP, 3.73cm-2MAP & 5.44cm-3MAP), Number of new leaves (7.22-1MAP, 10.78-2MAP & 16.56-3MAP) and survival percentage (50.89%) in air layered olive plants, whereas minimum values were recorded in T8 (control). It can be inferred from this study that, the use of IBA 4000 ppm was effective to produce better root and shoot parameters and successful establishment of air layers in olive

Effect of Chitosan Application on Growth, Yield and Quality of Strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.) cv. Winter Dawn

Strawberry is a sweet and fragrant fruit that is popular all over the world. It belongs to the genus Fragaria and is known for its bright red colour, juicy texture, and characteristic aroma. The present investigation was laid out on the experimental site of Department of Horticulture, Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture Technology & Sciences, Naini, Prayagraj (UP), during 2022-2023. The experiment consisted of 10 treatments with different combinations of RDF and chitosan replicated thrice with 4 plants per replication in Randomized Block Design. Observations were recorded for vegetative growth, yield and quality of strawberry variety Winter Dawn.The statistical analysis indicated significant variation among the different treatments in terms of growth parameters. The treatment labeled as T10 (RDF + Chitosan spray 4g/L at 45, 90, and 120 DAP) demonstrated the highest values for vegetative parameters such as the number of leaves (26.50), plant height (18.10 cm), and plant spread in both east-west and north-south directions (26.15). Similarly, T10 also exhibited the maximum values for fruit characteristics, including fruit length (5.63 cm), fruit diameter (3.95 cm), and fruit weight (30.23 g). In terms of yield, T10 recorded the highest yield (341.25 g) among all the treatments, followed by T9 (RDF + Chitosan spray 3g/L at 45, 90, and 120 DAP)

Effect of Different Levels of Carbon Dioxide Concentrations on Qualitative Traits of Strawberry (Fragaria × Ananassa) during Storage var. Winter Dawn

The present investigation the effect of different levels of carbon dioxide concentration on qualitative traits of strawberry during storage was studied. Strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa) were stored at ambient temperature for 5 days and controlled temperature at 5oC for 14 days in eight different atmospheres: air, 5% CO2, 10% CO2, 15% CO2, 20% CO2, 25% CO2, 30% CO2, 35% CO2. Changes in several parameters were evaluated. Atmosphere with high carbon dioxide were the most effective in preventing the fungal growth and enhancing strawberry firmness. However, other quality parameters such as color, titrable acidity, ascorbic acid, TSS, pH, aroma were only mildly affected by superatmospheric CO2 levels. The result showed that atmosphere with treatment 35% CO2 proved as the most effective one to control the weight loss, firmness, and to minimized the fruit decay. In conclusion, strawberries stored under superatmospheric carbon dioxide conditions maintained the fungal growth, firmness, weight loss and increase the shelf life as compared to air stored. In future, these experimental results may prove very useful for increasing the shelf life of strawberry fruits for certain period in better quality

Effect of Different Concentrations of Indole Butyric Acid (IBA), Seaweed Extract and Phloroglucinol on Air Layering in Kinnow

This experiment was conducted to evaluate the best treatment combination among IBA, Seaweed Extract and Phloroglucinol concentration for assesing the success rate, survival percentage of Kinnow. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Design having 12 treatments and replicated 3 times. The T7 IBA@2000ppm+Phloroglucinol@5000ppm recorded highest values in terms of success in rooting percentage (73.67), number of days taken for initial root formation (28.44), root length of layers (7.30cm),  number of roots per layering (20.44), root thickness (3.70mm), number of new sprouts per layer (6.56-1MAP, 8.89-2MAP, 8.56-3MAP & 8.00-4MAP), number of new leaves per layer (6.67-1MAP, 10.56-2MAP, 7.09-3MAP & 12.78-4MAP), length of new shoots (4.26cm-1MAP, 5.23cm-2MAP, 7.09cm-3MAP & 9.94cm-4MAP) and survival percentage of rooted polybag transplanted air layers (68.66%) respectively in Kinnow, whereas minimum values were recorded in T6 (IBA@3000ppm + SWE@5000ppm)

Influence of Foliar Application of Seaweed Extract and Humic Acid on Growth, Yield and Quality of Strawberry (Fragaria × ananasa Duch) cv. Winter Dawn

The present investigation entitled “Influence of foliar spraying of Seaweed extract and Humic acid on growth, yield and quality of Strawberry (Fragaria × ananasa duch) cv. Winter dawn” was carried out in the Department of Horticulture, Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture Technology & Sciences Prayagraj. This experiment was conducted from November 2022 to March 2023. This experiment was conducted to evaluate the best treatment combination of Seaweed Extract and Humic acid concentration for producing the best quality strawberry. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Design having 9 treatments and replicated 3 times. The T9 (SWE @ 8000ppm + Humic acid @ 3.0 g/L) recorded highest values in terms of growth parameters i.e. number of leaves (7.83, 15.58, 23.66, 30.08), plant height (7.88, 12.21, 15.25, 18.06), plant spread (13.38 E-W, 13.41 N-S; 15.4 E-W, 15.43 N-S; 21.55 E-W, 21.01 N-S; 24.44 E-W, 24.45 N-S) at different stages of growth i.e 30, 60, 90, and 120 days after planting as compared to T1 (control) and all other treatments. Plant treatment T9 also recorded earliest flowering (48.42 days) and earliest fruiting (70.42). Fruit weight (30.84g), fruit length (5.84cm) and diameter (4.05cm) were found superior followed by T8 (SWE @ 7000ppm + Humic acid @ 3.0 g/L). Higher yield (343.52g) and higher number fruits per pant (20.66) were observed in T9 and the lower yield and less number of fruits per plant in T1 (control). In Fruit quality characters, higher TSS (11.13ᴼB), lower acidity (0.58%) and high amount of ascorbic acid (60.16 mg/100 g) was observed in T9 followed by T8. Higher concentrations of seaweed extract and humic acid have been found to have a more significant positive impact on the yield quality of strawberries, demonstrating their superiority in enhancing crop productivity