Pre‐Harvest Brassinolide Application Influences Ripening, Yield and Quality Attributes of Litchi ( Litchi chinensis Sonn.) cv. Deshi

An experiment was done to assess the effect of pre‐harvest brassinolide (BL) spray on fruit yield and quality of litchi cv. Deshi. BL was applied at 0.25–1.00 mg L −1 concentration during 2022 and 2023 in three different combinations—panicle emergence and 20 days after fruit set (DAFS) (two sprays); panicle emergence and 40 DAFS (two sprays); and panicle emergence with 20 and 40 DAFS (three sprays). Fruit ripening was delayed by more than 9 days when 0.25 mg L −1 BL was applied at panicle emergence and 40 DAFS. Fruit weight and yield were also increased significantly in the same treatment combination (20.71 g and 21.95 kg plant −1 , respectively). However, electrolytic leakage, peroxidase and polyphenol oxidase activity in the fruit pericarp were recorded minimum in this treatment with maximum activity of catalase and phenylalanine ammonia‐lyase. Maximum total soluble solids (22.20°B), total sugar (15.56%), ascorbic acid content (40.54 mg 100 g −1 FW) and antioxidant capacity (6.15 μ mol TE g −1 ) in the aril were estimated in the same treatment combination. Hence, two pre‐harvest application of 0.25 mg L −1 BL at panicle emergence followed by 40 DAFS can be recommended for improving yield and quality of litchi with significant delay in harvesting.