Gladiolus is one of the most potential bulbous cut flower crops cultivated widely in India due to its attractive and long lasting spikes. The plant is propagated vegetatively through corms and cormels, but due to low rate of multiplication, its cultivation is hindered. Also, it is grown through underground modified stems, they are more often attacked by soil borne diseases such as Fusarium corm rot. In-vitro propagation techniques, assumes significance, especially for securing rapid multiplication of quality planting propagules using dormant cormlet explants and media. The results of the study revealed that the MS growing medium supplemented with 2 mg/l BAP showed improved results in respect of sprouting of explants (54.46 %), days required for sprouting of explants (8.68 DAI) and shoot length at 30 (6.32 cm), 60 (12.40 cm) and 90 (13.21 cm) DAI. The in vitro regenerated gladiolus plantlets when placed in the rooting MS medium supplemented with 4 mg/l IBA showed earlier root initiation (8.31 DAI) and higher number of roots/shoot (5.37 DAI) as compared to the rest of the treatment combinations. Hardening medium consisting of garden soil + sand + vermicompost (1:1:1) showed greater survivability (50.98 %) of plantlets. Thus, the study has been initiated an efficient protocol for in-vitro propagation of gladiolus through cormlets cultured in MS media containing BAP and IBA as shooting and rooting plant growth regulators and subsequent acclimatization in garden soil + sand+ vermicompost medium.

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The present laboratory investigation was aiming to assess the influence of various post-harvest treatments on storage behaviour of aonla fruits during the year 2015-16 in the 'Department of Horticulture and Post-Harvest Technology, Institute of Agriculture, Visva-Bharati, Sriniketan'. Freshly harvested physiological mature fruits of aonla cv. Chakaiya of uniform size, shape, colour, free from disease and bruises were given various post-harvest treatment of gibberellic acid (GA 3 : 50 ppm, 100 ppm), naphthalene acetic acid (NAA: 20 ppm, 30 ppm) and calcium chloride (CaCl 2 : 1, 1.5%) and were air dried and kept in 5 ply corrugated boxes (5% ventilations) with newspaper lining and stored in room temperature. The fruits were analysed for various quality attributes at different storage intervals up to 12 days. The results revealed that physiological loss in weight (4.94, 7.06 and 9.04%) and spoilage percent (0, 0 and 15%) of the fruits remain minimum after 4, 8 and 12 days respectively in CaCl 2 (1%) treated fruits during storage. Whereas, TSS (9.28, 10.82 and 1 2.46 o B), acidity (2.31, 2.08 and 1.89%), ascorbic acid (475.06, 456.70 and 413.13 mg 100 g -1 ) and total sugar (7.86, 8.20 and 8.62%) of the fruits were highest after 4, 8 and 12 days respectively in GA 3 (100 ppm) treated fruits during storage. This study shows that the storability and quality of aonla fruits can be favourably influenced during storage when treated with calcium chloride and GA 3 .

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The present experiment was conducted under the semi-arid subtropical red lateritic zone of eastern India in West Bengal with seven years old popular mango (Mangifera indica L.) varieties grown at Horticulture Research Farm of Department of Horticulture and Postharvest Technology, Institute of Agriculture, Visva-Bharati, Sriniketan, West Bengal, India during 2015 and 2016. The varieties were evaluated for various morphological characters, yield and physicochemical quality of fruits. The results revealed that Kohinoor exhibited maximum tree volume (41.99 m3), fruit yield (21.03 kg/tree) and fruit weight (253.33 g/fruit). Whereas, Kohitoor exhibited maximum TSS (20.07 oB), TSS/acid ratio (100.35) and ascorbic acid (43.17 mg/100g) content of the fruits. Acidity content was found lowest (0.17%) in Gulab Khas. Regarding morphological characters, yield and physicochemical quality of fruits, the varieties Kohinoor, Kohitoor, Inayat Pasand are superior in quality and stand to promise for the small family farming orchard in the red lateritic zone of eastern India.