Vol. 9, Special Issue 12, Part F (2025)

PGRs with fertigation, an advanced, novel and ecofriendly technique may have the potential to contribute to fruit yield and quality enhancement in modern horticulture. Fertigation is the application of water-soluble fertilizers through irrigation, which contributes to an efficient nutrient delivery and to an enhanced plant nutrient-use efficiency. Meanwhile, PGRs are able to control plant physiological and biochemical activities including cell division, flowering, fruit set and ripening, as well as tolerance to stress. In concert, these systems result in synergistic improvements in nutrient uptake, hormone balance, and metabolic function. Several reports on fruit crops (mango, banana, citrus and grapes), have shown a positive feedback of PGRs (paclobutrazol, NAA, GA₃, and cytokinins) application with fertigation with respect to canopy structure, uniform flowering, fruit set, size of the fruit and quality parameters such as total soluble solids, sugars and storage life. Overall, the synergistic approaches lead to enhanced process efficiency and sustainability by reducing nutrient losses, chemical input, and enhancing soil-water health. Prospective studies need to be directed toward designing crop- and region-specific fertigation-PGR protocols and integrate smart-tools such as IoT and precision fertigation for climate-resilient fruit production.