www.IndianJournals.com Members Copy, Not for Commercial Sale Downloaded From IP - 14.139.229.43 on dated 26-Oct-2016 Online version available at: www.indianjournals.com Progressive Horticulture, vol. 47, No. 2, September 2015 © copyright iSHRD, Printed in india [Research Article] Correlations studies in ber (Zizyphus mauritiana Lamk.) Omveer Singh, K.K. Misra and Ratna Rai* Department of Horticulture, College of Agriculture, G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantangar 263 145, Udham Singh Nagar, Uttarakhand, India *E-mail: misrakk_hort@rediffmail.com ABSTRACT The correlation coeficient (r) of 41 growth, fruiting and fruit quality characters of Ber was estimated using 24 cultivars. The correlation coeficient indicated that tree height was positively correlated with trunk girth, tree vol- ume, cross trunk sectional area, number of shoots per tree, leaf length: breadth ratio and number of fruits per kg. The photosynthetic eficiency had positive but non-signiicant correlation with yield. Positive and signiicant cor- relation of fruit weight was found with fruit volume, stone length, stone breadth and stone weight. TSS showed negative and non-signiicant correlation with TSS: acid ratio and ascorbic acid content but it showed positive and non-signiicant correlation with acidity. The TSS:acid ratio gave positive and signiicant correlation with ascorbic acid content of fruit lesh. KEY WORDS: Ber, correlation coeficient, cultivars, growth, fruiting, fruit characters Ber is an important fruit of India and is cultivated widely for its resistance to drought conditions. Varia- tions in growth, yield and fruit quality characters of Ber cultivars have been reported by many workers (Chadha et al., 1972; Randhawa and Biswas, 1966 and Teaotia et al., 1974). A number of cultivars have been developed through seedling selection and superior cultivars have been screened out for various regions but meagre efforts have been made so far to study the correlation between growth, fruiting and fruit characters in Ber for the ratio- nal improvement of yield and fruit quality. Therefore, a study was undertaken to correlate the various growth, fruiting and fruit characters of Ber cultivars under Tarai condition of Uttarakhand. MATERIALS AND METHODS The study was undertaken at the Horticultural Re- search Centre, Patharchatta of G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology Pantangar. Twenty four Ber cultivars, i.e., Banarasi Pewandi, Chhuhara, Chinese, Dandan, Illaichi, Kala Gola, Kaithli, Narikeli, Nazuk, Noki, Rohtak Gola, Sanaur 1, Sanaur 2, Sanaur 3, Sanaur 4, Sanaur 5, Sanaur 6, Selected Safeda, Seo, Thornless, Umran, Wallaiti, ZG 2 and ZG 3 were replicated twice in Randomized Block Design having a single tree per treatment per replication. Fifty uniform mature fruits from each tree were used for recording of various obser- vations. The characters observed were tree height, tree spread, trunk girth, tree volume, cross trunk sectional area (CTSA), shoot length, number of leaves/shoot, number of shoots/tree, weight of fresh leaf, weight of dry leaf, leaf length, leaf breadth, leaf length : breadth ratio, leaf area, petiole length, photosynthetic eficiency, number of fruits/shoot, number of fruits/tree, yield/ tree, yield eficiency [number of fruits/m 3 , volume of tree, weight of fruits (kg)/cm 2 ], number of fruits per kg, fruit length, fruit breadth, fruit length : breadth ratio, fruit weight, fruit volume, fruit speciic gravity, stone length, stone breadth, stone length : breadth ratio, stone weight, stone volume, stone speciic gravity, lesh content, stone content, lesh : stone ratio, TSS, acidity, TSS : acid ratio and ascorbic acid. The cross trunk sectional area (CTSA) for tree was calculated as per method of Glenn and Rog- ers (1969) while the tree volume was worked out as per method of Westwood et al. (1963). Leaf area was mea- sured with the help of LI-COR portable leaf area meter. Photosynthetic eficiency was estimated as per method of Westwood (1978). The yield was recorded by weigh- ing the fruits at the time of each picking. Yield eficiency was measured in terms of weight of fruits (kg)/cm 2 and number of fruits/m volume of area. The other physi- DOI : 10.5958/2249-5258.2015.00045.7