Vol. 9, Special Issue 10, Part J (2025)

A study was conducted in guava to evaluate the effect of spacing and nutrient level and schedule on the vegetative parameters of guava under HDP system in Kerala. Experiment was laid out in split plot design with four levels of spacing as main plot and six fertilizer level as subplot treatments replicated thrice. The results indicated that plant height was significantly higher in closer spacing of 2.0 m × 1.5 m with 100% of fertilizer dose as per schedule -2 (S₄F₆; 1.23 m; 1.60 m) at 6 and 9 MAP. The highest plant girth (9.30 cm) and canopy spread in N-S direction (105.98 cm) were observed as a result of the interactive effect of 3.0 m × 3.0 m spacing with 100% of fertilizer dose as per schedule -2 (S₁F₆) at 6 MAP while at 9 MAP the highest values were obtained with 3.0 m × 3.0 m with 100% of fertilizer dose as per schedule -1 (S₁F₅) (13.15; 123.44 cm). Canopy spread in E-W direction was the highest in 3.0 m × 3.0 m spacing with 100% of fertilizer dose as per schedule -1 at 6 MAP (99.33 cm) and at 9 MAP 3.0 m x 3.0 m with 100% of fertilizer dose as per schedule -2 recorded the highest values (136.01 cm). Data on primary branch girth, secondary branch girth and pruned biomass showed that interactive effect has no significant effect at 6 and 9 MAP. The least number of days to shoot emergence (5.04) was observed in 3.0 m × 3.0 m with 100% of fertilizer dose as per schedule -2 at 9MAP. In conclusion, the growth parameters were observed to be better at highest spacing and nutrient dose (S₁F₆ and S₁F₅) except the plant height which was observed to be the highest with S₄F₆.