Study the Effect of Different Fruit Bunch Covering Materials on Bird’s Damage, Yield and Quality of Date Palm cv. Halawy in Western Rajasthan

Abstract

Date palm fruits are damaged by bird’s attack which reduce their commercial value and thereby cause significant economic losses. The objective of this study was to find out the suitable fruit bunch covering material for reducing birds attack, increase yield and improve fruit quality. An investigation was carried out for study the effect of different fruit bunch covering materials on bird’s damage, yield and quality of date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) cv. Halawy at Date palm Research Center, Swami Keshwanand Rajasthan Agricultural University, Bikaner during the year 2019–20. The fruit bunches were subjected to six covering materials i.e., iron wire gauge, non-woven material, agro-shed net, insect proof net, cloth bag and fertilizer bags with one unbagged treatment (control). The fruits bunches were covered at kimri or gandora stages of maturity. The applied treatments were arranged in a randomized block design with three replicates and in each replication three tree were used. Different fruit bunch covering materials significantly influenced the maturity period of date palm (doka stage). Fruit bunches covered with fertilizer bag were matured earlier (109.21 days) in compared to uncovered fruit bunches (116.30 days). The yield of fruits was significantly increased by different fruit bunch covers, and maximum yield (5.89 kg/bunch and 30.68 kg/palm) was recorded in insect proof net fruit cover. The quality attributes viz., fruit weight (7.18 g), fruit length (5.42 cm), fruit diameter (2.80 cm), fruit volume (7.25 cc) and pulp weight (5.44 g) were significantly increased in fruits covered by insect proof net covering materials. However, attributes viz., stone weight, length of bunches, percentage of fruits retained after covering of bunches were found non-significant under different covering materials. The maximum TSS (40.10%), phenol content (0.83 mg/100 g), ascorbic acid (8.06 mg/100 g), total sugar (34.46%) and reducing sugar (31.80%) were significantly influenced and recorded maximum in insect proof net. While, the acidity (0.14%) and soluble tannin (4.46 mg/g) were significantly decreased in insect proof net. Fruit bunch covers minimized the bird’s damage in fruits, and there were no infestations of birds in iron wire gauge cover (0.00%) while, fertilizer bag cover and agro-shed net cover showed minimum bird’s infestation i.e., 1.00% and 1.61%, respectively. The highest bird’s damage (14.64%) of date palm fruits was recorded in unbagged fruits (control).The highest benefit cost ratio (4.58) was obtained in fertilizer bag fruit cover while, the lowest benefit cost ratio (0.94) was recorded in iron wire gauge fruit cover.