Impact of Seasonal Variation Flux on Growth, Leaf Phenology and Fruit Development in Nagpur Mandarin of Jhalawar District

It may be inferred that during early bearing phase of Nagpur mandarin, the major contribution of vegetative growth was from spring and rainy season flushes. In the early bearing phase of Nagpur mandarin, the extent of seasonal vegetative growth was maximum in spring flush (45.03%) followed by rainy season flush (42.02%), however, the winter fall flush comprised only scanty flush of the annual vegetative growth to the tune of 10.75% only. Likewise, spring flush leaves exhibited the minimal values of leaf sclerophylly i.e. leaf fresh weight and dry weight, density of foliar tissue and leaf succulence with respect to rainy and winter season flushes inferring that growth during spring season is utilized as a sink for developing fruits. About 72 per cent of the fruit radius was found contributed by peel thickness in I phase of fruit growth. During phase II, fruit growth was found dependent upon increase in pulp tissue thickness contributing about 81 per cent of the total fruit weight. Finally, during III phase of maturity and ripening there was comparatively decreased rate of increase in fruit weight and size and little bit increased rate of dry weight, rind thickness and reduction in moisture percentage.