Integrating plant growth regulators (PGRs) and nano-nutrients to alleviate fruit drop and enhance reproductive efficiency in ber cv. apple ber
Article Main
Abstract
Ber (Ziziphus mauritiana L.) is a significant fruit crop grown in dry and semi arid areas. However, low fruit retention and significant fruit drop frequently limit production, thereby lowering output in field settings. Therefore, increasing ber output requires the development of efficient agronomic techniques to enhance reproductive performance.The current study set out to assess how melatonin and nano-calcium nitrate together affected apple ber yield, flowering behavior, fruit retention, and fruit drop. The experiment was designed using a Factorial randomized block design (FRBD) with three repetitions, each consisting of 25 combinations of treatments with plant growth regulators (PGRs) and nano-nutrients applied as foliar sprays. The data were recorded as days to flowering, fruit set, fruit drop, fruit retention, number of fruits per plant, and yield. Their interaction [melatonin (A5) 15 ppm + nano calcium nitrate (B5) 0.05%] resulted in the highest fruit retention (29.0%), highest fruit set (87.99%), average number of fruits (1561.0), and average fruit yield (54.23 kg) compared to the control. These interactions (A5B5) also have the earliest days to start flowering (18 days) and the lowest fruit drop (71.0 %) compared to the control. These results highlight the potential of melatonin and nano-calcium nitrate as an effective agronomic strategy to enhance reproductive performance and yield in ber cultivation, contributing to sustainable horticultural practices and future research on nano-enabled PGRs.
Article Details
Article Details
Keywords
Brassinosteroids, Melatonin, Nano boric acid, Nano calcium nitrate, Productivity
References
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Arshad, I., Saleem, M., Akhtar, M., Shani, M. Y., Farid, G., Jarecki, W. & Ashraf, M. Y. (2024). Enhancing fruit retention and juice quality in ‘Kinnow’(Citrus reticulata) through the combined foliar application of potassium, zinc, and plant growth regulators. Horticulturae, 10(12), 1245. https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae10121245
Ashtalakshmi M, Saraswathy S, Muthulakshmi S, Venkatesan K, Anitha T (2024) A review on exploring the efficiency of plant hormones on fruitfulness of perishables. Discov. Appl. Sci., 6(10):494. https://doi.org/10.100 7/s42452-024-06201-9
Badiche-El Hilali, F., García-Pastor, M. E., Valverde, J. M., Castillo, S., Valero, D. & Serrano, M. (2024). Melatonin as an efficient and eco-friendly tool to increase yield and to maintain quality attributes during lemon storage. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 25(18), 10025. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms251810025
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Bhalerao, S. & Rai, M. (2023). Biosynthesis of Nanoparticles by Fungi and their Applications as Nanofertilizers. In Myconanotechnology (pp. 193-227). CRC Press.
Dzinyela, R., Hwarari, D., Opoku, K. N., Yang, L. & Movahedi, A. (2024). Enhancing drought stress tolerance in horticultural plants through melatonin-mediated phytohormonal crosstalk. Plant Cell Reports, 43(11), 272. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00299-024-03362-0
El-Motaium, R. A. E., Shaban, A. E. S., Badawy, E. S. H. & Ibrahim, A. S. (2025). The potential role of nano-calcium and boron in increasing mango fruits productivity, quality and antioxidant content. Journal of Plant Nutrition, 48(9), 1529-1546. https://doi.org/10.1080/01904167.2025.2452429
El-Salhy, A. F. M., Masoud, A. A., Gouda, F. E. Z., Saeid, W. T. & Abd El-Magid, E. A. (2022). Effect of foliar spraying of calcium and boron nano-fertilizers on growth and fruiting of certain pomegranate cultivars. Assiut Journal of Agricultural Sciences, 53(5), 123-138. https://doi.org/10.21608/ajas.2022.154162.1162
Gao, Y., Chen, H., Chen, D. & Hao, G. (2023). Genetic and evolutionary dissection of melatonin response signaling facilitates the regulation of plant growth and stress responses. Journal of Pineal Research, 74(2), e12850. https://doi.org/10.1111/jpi.12850
Garrido-Auñón, F., Puente-Moreno, J., García Pastor, M. E., Pedro, Z. J., Martínez-Romero, D., Serrano, M. & Valero Garrido, D. (2025). Brassinosteroids preharvest treatments as a useful tool to increase crop yield and red colour in blood orange fruit. Frontiers in Plant Science, 16, 1654517. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2025.1654517
Huang, S. & Jin, S. (2024). Melatonin interaction with other phytohormones in the regulation of abiotic stresses in horticultural plants. Antioxidants, 13(6), 663. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox13060663
Hussain, H., Yu, Y., Ahmed, A. H., Hayat, F., Awais, M., Ma’Arij, A. & Qadri, R. (2025). Investigating the Role of Gibberellic Acid in Fruit Drop Mitigation and Fruit Quality Improvement in Date Palm Cultivars. Applied Fruit Science, 67(3), 181. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10341-025-01416-5
Larocca, G. N., Baldi, E. & Toselli, M. (2025). Understanding the Role of Calcium in Kiwifruit: Ion Transport, Signaling, and Fruit Quality. Horticulturae, 11(3), 335. https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae11030335
Lin, Y. H., Lin, M. Z., Tian, H. Q. & Li, D. X. (2025). Advances in research on the control of pollen tube growth by calcium in higher plants. Plant Science, 112436. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.plantsci.2025.112436
Oosthuyse, S. A. & Garziera, F. (2015, September). Effect of Ca (NO3) 2 or KNO3/Ca (NO3) 2 floral initiation spray schedules on flowering intensity and yield in'Keitt'mango, and the additional effect of spraying with Speedfol during flowering. In XI International Mango Symposium 1183 (pp. 29-34). https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2017.1183.5
Patiyal, V., Rana, N., Rana, V. S. & Sharma, S. (2025). Fruit Drop and Parthenocarpy. In Advances in Growth Regulation of Fruit Crops (pp. 177-191). CRC Press.
Ramasamy, K., Karuppasami, K. M., Alagarswamy, S., Shanmugam, K. P., Rathinavelu, S., Vellingiri, G & Kanagarajan, S. (2023). Role of melatonin in directing plant physiology. Agronomy, 13(9), 2405. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13092405
Ruan, W., Liu, J., Zhang, S., Huang, Y., Zhang, Y., & Wang, Z. (2024). Sour jujube (Ziziphus jujuba var. spinosa): a bibliometric review of its bioactive profile, health benefits and trends in food and medicine applications. Foods, 13(5), 636. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13050636
Sahoo, A. K., Tarai, R. K., Srivastava, A. K., Thakur, N., Praksh, O., & Sau, S. (2022). Plant growth regulators in Ber. In Plant Growth Regulators in Tropical and Sub-tropical Fruit Crops (pp. 92-112). CRC Press.
Seydmohammadi, Z., Roein, Z. & Rezvanipour, S. (2020). Accelerating the growth and flowering of Eustoma grandiflorum by foliar application of nano-ZnO and nano-CaCO3. Plant Physiology Reports, 25(1), 140-148. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40502-019-00473-9
Usanmaz, S., Aşkın, M. A. & Kahramanoğlu, İ. (2022, February). Effects of foliar melatonin application on the flowering and fruit set of pomegranates (Punica granatum L. Â WonderfulÂ). In V International Symposium on Pomegranate and Minor Mediterranean Fruits 1349 (pp. 63-72). https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2022.1349.10
Usman, M., Mirza, S. A. & Fatima, B. (2023). Climate resilience in Indian jujube (Ziziphus mauritiana Lam.) and other jujube species. In Cultivation for Climate Change Resilience, Volume 1 (pp. 241-271). CRC Press.
Yousefi, M., Mirdehghan, S. H., Esmaeilizadeh, M., Nazoori, F. & Sahhafi, S. R. (2025). Avoiding endocarp lesion and abscission of pistachio nut using lecithin-enriched calcium nitrate. Journal of Horticulture and Postharvest Research, 8(2), 245-258. https://doi.org/10.22077/jhpr.2024.8220.1429
Zahedi, S. M., Hosseini, M. S., Abadía, J. & Marjani, M. (2020). Melatonin foliar sprays elicit salinity stress tolerance and enhance fruit yield and quality in strawberry (Fragaria× ananassa Duch.). Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, 149, 313-323. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.plaphy.2020.02.021
Zec, S., Tamindžić, G., Azizbekian, S., Ignjatov, M., Danojević, D., Červenski, J. & Banjac, B. (2025). Foliar Application of Ca-Based Fertilizers (Conventional vs. Nanofertilizers): Effects on Fruit Traits, Seed Quality Parameters and Initial Plant Growth of Tomato Genotypes. Horticulturae, 11(11), 1303. https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae11111303
Zhu, M., Yu, J., Wang, R., Zeng, Y., Kang, L. & Chen, Z. (2023). Nano-calcium alleviates the cracking of nectarine fruit and improves fruit quality. Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, 196, 370-380. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.plaphy.2023.01.058
Abdelwahed, S. M., Farag, M. E. & Radwan, H. B. (2023). Impact of Foliar Application of Nano-Calcium and Nano-Boron on Pomegranate Yield and Fruit Quality. Nanotechnology, 6, 14.
Arshad, I., Saleem, M., Akhtar, M., Shani, M. Y., Farid, G., Jarecki, W. & Ashraf, M. Y. (2024). Enhancing fruit retention and juice quality in ‘Kinnow’(Citrus reticulata) through the combined foliar application of potassium, zinc, and plant growth regulators. Horticulturae, 10(12), 1245. https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae10121245
Ashtalakshmi M, Saraswathy S, Muthulakshmi S, Venkatesan K, Anitha T (2024) A review on exploring the efficiency of plant hormones on fruitfulness of perishables. Discov. Appl. Sci., 6(10):494. https://doi.org/10.100 7/s42452-024-06201-9
Badiche-El Hilali, F., García-Pastor, M. E., Valverde, J. M., Castillo, S., Valero, D. & Serrano, M. (2024). Melatonin as an efficient and eco-friendly tool to increase yield and to maintain quality attributes during lemon storage. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 25(18), 10025. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms251810025
Bakić, I., Radović, A., Živković, B., Radović, I., Simin, N., Živanović, N. & Čolić, S. (2025). Effect of nanocalcium foliar application on the growth, yield, and fruit quality of strawberry cv ‘Alba’. Journal of Plant Nutrition, 48(10), 1695-1710. https://doi.org/10.1080/01904167.2025.2452429
Bhalerao, S. & Rai, M. (2023). Biosynthesis of Nanoparticles by Fungi and their Applications as Nanofertilizers. In Myconanotechnology (pp. 193-227). CRC Press.
Dzinyela, R., Hwarari, D., Opoku, K. N., Yang, L. & Movahedi, A. (2024). Enhancing drought stress tolerance in horticultural plants through melatonin-mediated phytohormonal crosstalk. Plant Cell Reports, 43(11), 272. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00299-024-03362-0
El-Motaium, R. A. E., Shaban, A. E. S., Badawy, E. S. H. & Ibrahim, A. S. (2025). The potential role of nano-calcium and boron in increasing mango fruits productivity, quality and antioxidant content. Journal of Plant Nutrition, 48(9), 1529-1546. https://doi.org/10.1080/01904167.2025.2452429
El-Salhy, A. F. M., Masoud, A. A., Gouda, F. E. Z., Saeid, W. T. & Abd El-Magid, E. A. (2022). Effect of foliar spraying of calcium and boron nano-fertilizers on growth and fruiting of certain pomegranate cultivars. Assiut Journal of Agricultural Sciences, 53(5), 123-138. https://doi.org/10.21608/ajas.2022.154162.1162
Gao, Y., Chen, H., Chen, D. & Hao, G. (2023). Genetic and evolutionary dissection of melatonin response signaling facilitates the regulation of plant growth and stress responses. Journal of Pineal Research, 74(2), e12850. https://doi.org/10.1111/jpi.12850
Garrido-Auñón, F., Puente-Moreno, J., García Pastor, M. E., Pedro, Z. J., Martínez-Romero, D., Serrano, M. & Valero Garrido, D. (2025). Brassinosteroids preharvest treatments as a useful tool to increase crop yield and red colour in blood orange fruit. Frontiers in Plant Science, 16, 1654517. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2025.1654517
Huang, S. & Jin, S. (2024). Melatonin interaction with other phytohormones in the regulation of abiotic stresses in horticultural plants. Antioxidants, 13(6), 663. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox13060663
Hussain, H., Yu, Y., Ahmed, A. H., Hayat, F., Awais, M., Ma’Arij, A. & Qadri, R. (2025). Investigating the Role of Gibberellic Acid in Fruit Drop Mitigation and Fruit Quality Improvement in Date Palm Cultivars. Applied Fruit Science, 67(3), 181. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10341-025-01416-5
Larocca, G. N., Baldi, E. & Toselli, M. (2025). Understanding the Role of Calcium in Kiwifruit: Ion Transport, Signaling, and Fruit Quality. Horticulturae, 11(3), 335. https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae11030335
Lin, Y. H., Lin, M. Z., Tian, H. Q. & Li, D. X. (2025). Advances in research on the control of pollen tube growth by calcium in higher plants. Plant Science, 112436. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.plantsci.2025.112436
Oosthuyse, S. A. & Garziera, F. (2015, September). Effect of Ca (NO3) 2 or KNO3/Ca (NO3) 2 floral initiation spray schedules on flowering intensity and yield in'Keitt'mango, and the additional effect of spraying with Speedfol during flowering. In XI International Mango Symposium 1183 (pp. 29-34). https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2017.1183.5
Patiyal, V., Rana, N., Rana, V. S. & Sharma, S. (2025). Fruit Drop and Parthenocarpy. In Advances in Growth Regulation of Fruit Crops (pp. 177-191). CRC Press.
Ramasamy, K., Karuppasami, K. M., Alagarswamy, S., Shanmugam, K. P., Rathinavelu, S., Vellingiri, G & Kanagarajan, S. (2023). Role of melatonin in directing plant physiology. Agronomy, 13(9), 2405. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13092405
Ruan, W., Liu, J., Zhang, S., Huang, Y., Zhang, Y., & Wang, Z. (2024). Sour jujube (Ziziphus jujuba var. spinosa): a bibliometric review of its bioactive profile, health benefits and trends in food and medicine applications. Foods, 13(5), 636. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13050636
Sahoo, A. K., Tarai, R. K., Srivastava, A. K., Thakur, N., Praksh, O., & Sau, S. (2022). Plant growth regulators in Ber. In Plant Growth Regulators in Tropical and Sub-tropical Fruit Crops (pp. 92-112). CRC Press.
Seydmohammadi, Z., Roein, Z. & Rezvanipour, S. (2020). Accelerating the growth and flowering of Eustoma grandiflorum by foliar application of nano-ZnO and nano-CaCO3. Plant Physiology Reports, 25(1), 140-148. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40502-019-00473-9
Usanmaz, S., Aşkın, M. A. & Kahramanoğlu, İ. (2022, February). Effects of foliar melatonin application on the flowering and fruit set of pomegranates (Punica granatum L. Â WonderfulÂ). In V International Symposium on Pomegranate and Minor Mediterranean Fruits 1349 (pp. 63-72). https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2022.1349.10
Usman, M., Mirza, S. A. & Fatima, B. (2023). Climate resilience in Indian jujube (Ziziphus mauritiana Lam.) and other jujube species. In Cultivation for Climate Change Resilience, Volume 1 (pp. 241-271). CRC Press.
Yousefi, M., Mirdehghan, S. H., Esmaeilizadeh, M., Nazoori, F. & Sahhafi, S. R. (2025). Avoiding endocarp lesion and abscission of pistachio nut using lecithin-enriched calcium nitrate. Journal of Horticulture and Postharvest Research, 8(2), 245-258. https://doi.org/10.22077/jhpr.2024.8220.1429
Zahedi, S. M., Hosseini, M. S., Abadía, J. & Marjani, M. (2020). Melatonin foliar sprays elicit salinity stress tolerance and enhance fruit yield and quality in strawberry (Fragaria× ananassa Duch.). Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, 149, 313-323. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.plaphy.2020.02.021
Zec, S., Tamindžić, G., Azizbekian, S., Ignjatov, M., Danojević, D., Červenski, J. & Banjac, B. (2025). Foliar Application of Ca-Based Fertilizers (Conventional vs. Nanofertilizers): Effects on Fruit Traits, Seed Quality Parameters and Initial Plant Growth of Tomato Genotypes. Horticulturae, 11(11), 1303. https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae11111303
Zhu, M., Yu, J., Wang, R., Zeng, Y., Kang, L. & Chen, Z. (2023). Nano-calcium alleviates the cracking of nectarine fruit and improves fruit quality. Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, 196, 370-380. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.plaphy.2023.01.058
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How to Cite
Integrating plant growth regulators (PGRs) and nano-nutrients to alleviate fruit drop and enhance reproductive efficiency in ber cv. apple ber. (2026). Journal of Applied and Natural Science, 18(1), 558-565. https://doi.org/10.31018/jans.v18i1.7369
