Germplasm Evaluation of Low-chill Pears (Pyrus spp.) for Vegetative, Reproductive and Fruit Quality Parameters in Tarai Area of Uttarakhand

Abstract

Twenty-one low-chill pear germplasm were evaluated for plant growth, fruit yield and fruit quality parameters
at Horticulture Research Centre, Patharchatta, G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar,
Uttarakhand, during 2001-02 to 2003-04 for various vegetative, reproductive and yield parameters. The mean
performance values for tree height (10.0 m) and trunk girth (56.8 cm) indicated larger values for Pant Pear-18
and LeConte, respectively. The maximum canopy spread (5.1 m) was recorded in Pyrus pashia and Pant Pear-
18, respectively. Among fruit quality traits maximum fruit weight was recorded in Pant Pear-3 (11.3 g), fruit length
in China (8.7 cm), TSS in LeConte (15.2%), acidity in Tumaria (0.37), total sugar in LeConte (9.1% ) and fruit
yield in Pant Pear-3 (26.5 q/ha) during the study. The variability observed in the pear germplasm can be used
for the genetic improvement of fruit yield and quality