Evaluation of Plant Bio-Regulators and Antioxidants on Fruit Quality and Physiological Attributes of Pomegranate (Punica Granatum L.) cv. Bhagwa

Abstract

The present investigation was carried out to evaluate the effect of plant bio-regulators and antioxidants on fruit growth, quality, and physiological parameters of pomegranate. The experiment comprised different treatments including NAA, GA₃, salicylic acid, ascorbic acid, and control. The results revealed that application of NAA at 30 ppm (T₂) significantly improved fruit physical characteristics, recording maximum fruit length (108.68 mm), fruit breadth (96.71 mm), fruit weight (352.99 g), and fruit volume (380.89 cc). In contrast, GA₃ at higher concentration (500 ppm) resulted in minimum fruit size and weight. Quality parameters were also positively influenced by NAA treatments, with the highest total soluble solids (14.92 ºB), total sugars (14.69%), and reducing sugars observed under T₂. Titratable acidity was lowest in NAA-treated fruits, indicating improved sweetness and better fruit quality. Among antioxidant treatments, ascorbic acid at 1200 ppm (T₈) significantly enhanced ascorbic acid content (15.12 mg/100 g), while salicylic acid (200 ppm) improved anthocyanin content (0.40 mg/100 g), contributing to better fruit coloration. Juice content was highest under GA₃ 500 ppm treatment. Physiological parameters showed that GA₃ treatments significantly enhanced photosynthetic rate (8.88 μmol CO₂/m²/s), transpiration rate, and chlorophyll content (3.08 mg/g), indicating improved plant metabolic activity. However, stomatal conductance was found to be non-significant among treatments. Overall, the study concluded that foliar application of NAA at 30 ppm is most effective for improving fruit size, yield, and quality of pomegranate, while GA₃ plays a significant role in enhancing physiological traits. Antioxidants such as ascorbic acid and salicylic acid improve biochemical attributes of fruits.