Influence of Various Mulching Techniques and NAA Application on Flowering and Nut Parameters of Cashew Cv. BPP- 8 under Odisha Condition

A trial was conducted at All India Coordinated Research Project on Cashew, (OUAT), Ransinghpur, Bhubaneswar, Odisha in the year 2021-22 to access the effect of mulches and NAA application on cashew cultivar BPP- 8. The experiment consisted of nine treatments and three replications in a Randomized Block Design. The treatments were T1- Only irrigation, T2- Irrigation + Polythene mulch, T3- Irrigation+ NAA @ 100 ppm, T4- Irrigation + Stone mulch, T5- Irrigation + Residue mulch, T6- Irrigation + Polythene mulch + NAA @ 100 ppm, T7- Irrigation + Stone mulch + NAA @ 100 ppm, T8- Irrigation + Residue mulch + NAA @ 100 ppm, T9- No irrigation (control). Irrigation was applied at the rate of 200 litres per plant after that, the root zone of the plants were covered with different types of mulching materials. NAA @ 100 ppm was sprayed at three stages viz. pre-flowering, flowering stage and after fruit set. The result revealed significantly positive impact of various mulches along with irrigation and NAA application on cashew cultivation. Treatment T6 (Irrigation + Polythene mulch + NAA @ 100 ppm) most effectively improved total number of flowers per panicle (488.80), maximum male flowers (424.94), maximum hermaphrodite flowers (66.42), highest sex ratio (0.136), number of nuts per panicle (4.08), nut yield per tree (12.07 kg), nut retention (27.50 %), nut weight (8.52 g), nut length (3.33 cm) and nut breadth (2.68 cm).