221 Flower Biology of Pomegranate Cultivar ‘Ganesh’ under Solapur Conditions of Maharashtra - a Preliminary Study K. Dhinesh Babu a , R. Chandra, J. Sharma and V.T. Jadhav National Research Centre on Pomegranate (ICAR) Solapur-413 006, Maharashtra India Keywords: flower biology, ‘Ganesh’, pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) Abstract Eulogized as ‘the tree of life’, pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) belongs to the family Punicaceae. In depth information on flower biology is an indispensable pre- requisite for complete comprehension of crop improvement. Pomegranate is capable of producing profuse flowers throughout the year. The flower biology varies with cultivar, weather, place and period of study. Hence, experiments were initiated on blossom biology of pomegranate during 2008-09 in the cultivar ‘Ganesh’. The cultivar flowered thrice in a year i.e., during ambe bahar (January-February), mrig bahar (June-July) and hasth bahar (September-October). Observations were recorded with respect to flower bud initiation, commencement, cessation and duration of flowering, period of anthesis and its peak time, dehiscence, etc. The weight of the mature, ready- to-crack flower bud ranged from 2.2-2.8 g per flower. The time taken for flower bud differentiation ranged from 19.9 to 23.5 days. The mean weight of hermaphrodite, intermediate and male flower was found to be 4.82, 2.62 and 1.71 g respectively. The hermaphrodite flowers featured the miraculous phenomenon “heterostyly”. The pistil lengths of hermaphrodite, intermediate and male flower were found to be 2.00, 1.55 and 0.65 cm, respectively. The pollen viability with acetocarmine stain ranged from 85 to 94%. The flowers were selfed and the fruit set was found to be in the range of 16.66 to 31.57%. In this investigation, other aspects of flower biology are also mirrored in depth. INTRODUCTION Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) is an important fruit crop gaining popularity in arid and semi-arid regions of India (Jalikop, 2003). It is capable of growing in a wide range of climates right from the tropical to temperate and as a result enormous diverse forms have evolved over the years in nature (Levin, 1995). The flowers and unripe fruits of pomegranate are useful in inducing vomiting and the rind of the fruits is given in diarrhoea and dysentery. It is also useful in sore throat and eyes, brain disease and chest troubles. Thus, every part of the pomegranate is useful in maintaining the human health and the immense therapeutic value is due to the presence of betulic acid and urrolic acid and different alkaloids (Kaur and Maini, 2001). The built-in capacity to withstand the vagaries of weather viz., extreme drought and excessive heat, well established root system and perennial nature of pomegranate paves the way for better exploitation of soil moisture over the shallow rooted annual crops. Besides, it tolerates soil salinity to some extent. Moreover, the arid environment favours the development of better quality fruits. Pomegranate has wide consumer preference and good demand even outside the region of production. Due to the high benefit cost ratio, the cultivation is becoming increasingly attractive (Jalikop and Kumar, 2000). Of late, the crop is cultivated throughout the length and breadth of the country and the area under cultivation is sprawling across continents as it is hardy in nature, high in yield potential with good shelf life. According to Prasad and Bankar (2003) pomegranate is suitable to even marginal lands and flourishes well in sandy loam and laterite soils a dh_babu@yahoo.co.in, ckdhinesh@gmail.com Proc. II nd IS on Pomegranate and Minor, including Mediterranean Fruits (ISPMMF - 2009) Eds.: M.K. Sheikh et al. Acta Hort. 890, ISHS 2011