Indigenous bahar management practice for improving quality of pomegranate under hot arid climate of Thar Desert

Abstract

Pomegranate is an ancient fruit renowned for its exceptional nutritional value and is deeply rooted in traditional health-care systems. In hot arid climate, pomegranates exhibit three distinct flowering seasons, traditionally known as "ambe, mrig and hasta bahar”. The choice of bahar to be regulated depends on irrigation water availability, market demand and pest/disease incidence. The present investigation was undertaken to optimize bahar management and induce synchronized flowering during optimal climatic conditions to enhance fruit quality while minimizing fruit cracking through indigenous horticultural techniques such as water stress, pruning, de-blossoming and defoliation using ethephon. Data revealed that indigenous horticultural techniques and ethephon had a significant positive impact on fruit quality and marketable yield of pomegranate. Among horticultural techniques (P), the most favorable results were observed with water stress during June with pruning and de-blossoming, which yielded maximum fruit weight of 216.58 g, 64.58 fruits/plant, and marketable yield of 11.59 kg/plant, all while minimizing fruit cracking to 11.51%. The horticultural techniques in combination with ethephon applications (PxC) involving water stress during June, pruning, de-blossoming, and ethephon (2 mL/l) demonstrated remarkable improvements. This treatment resulted in improved fruit weight of 223.58 g, a marketable yield of 13.63 kg/plant, and the lowest incidence of fruit cracking of 9.42%. These findings allowing synchronized flowering, enhanced fruit quality and market value. These insights contribute to the sustainable pomegranate cultivation in rural areas of Thar desert and further support its role in traditional health-care system.