Enhancing the Quality and Fruit Yield of Sweet Cherry (Prunus Avium) Cultivars by Foliar Application of Boron

Abstract

A deficiency of boron can be observed mostly in sandy soil with a high pH level and with minimum soil organic matter. Being a significant micronutrient, its deficiency may decrease the photosynthetically active emission and absorption by leaves. It helps in the transport of photosynthetic foodstuffs from foliar parts to meristematic tissues in green parts and roots ensuring leaf, shoot, fruit, and seed formation. An experiment on sweet cherry cultivars ('Sasha', 'Stella,' and 'Sunburst') assigned to the main plot and boron levels (0%, 0.25%, 0.50%, 0.75%, and 1%) subjected to subplot was carried out at the Kalam Summer Station, Agriculture Research Institute, Swat, Pakistan. Among the cultivars, maximum leaf area (cm(2)), fruit diameter, percent pulp, total soluble solids (degrees Brix), titratable acidity (%), and total sugars (%) with the minimum number of fruit kg(-1) was recorded in sweet cherry cultivar 'Sunburst.' The maximum fruit set (%), and yield (kg.plant(-1)) with minimum fruit drop (%) were recorded in the sweet cherry cultivar 'Stella.' Regarding boron concentration, maximum leaf area (cm(2)), fruit set (%), fruit diameter (cm), yield (kg.plant(-1)), percent pulp (%), total soluble solids (degrees Brix), total sugars (%) with minimum fruit drop (%), and the number of fruit kg(-1) was recorded in sweet cherry cultivars sprayed with 1% of boron. However, the maximum titratable acidity (%) was recorded in control treatments. Sweet cherry cultivars 'Sunburst' and 'Stella' sprayed with 1% boron showed the best results regarding yield and quality fruits production under the agro-climatic condition of Swat Valley.