Mango (Mangifera indica L.), a highly valued tropical fruit, faces challenges in productivity due to the use of non-descriptive rootstocks and large tree architecture. To address this, a field experiment was conducted at ICAR-IARI, New Delhi (2021-2024), using Olour as rootstock and scion, with three grafting combinations: without interstock, with Amrapali interstock, and with Mallika interstock. The study aimed to evaluate their effects on morpho-physio-chemical traits, leaf and soil nutrient content, and anatomical parameters. The results revealed significant differences in plant performance based on the treatment combinations. The Olour/Mallika/Olour combination showed the highest leaf width (3.71 cm),intercellular CO₂ concentration (356.20μmole m^-2 s^-1), net photosynthetic rate (8.51 μmole m^-2 s^-1), leaf total soluble protein (4.34 mg/g FW), leaf total sugars (119.05 mg/g FW), total chlorophyll (4.04 mg/g FW), total carotenoid (0.22 mg/g FW) and stomatal density (746.00 mm^-2) and lowest apical bud phenols (1014.31 mg/100 g) and leaf proline content (0.36 µg g^-1 FW). Conversely, the Olour/Amrapali/Olour combination exhibited lowest rootstock girth(7.11 mm), scion girth (4.32 mm), leaf fresh weight (1.26 g), leaf dry weight (0.40 g), leaf net photosynthesis (3.50 μmole m^-2 s^-1), leaf total soluble protein (1.25 mg/g FW), total chlorophyll (1.65 mg/g FW), total carotenoid (0.13 mg/g FW) and stomatal density (380.75 mm^-2) and demonstrated higher proline (1.06 µg g^-1 FW) and apical bud phenols (3067.53 mg/100 g)indicating dwarfing potential. Among the single-graft combinations, Amrapali/Olour exhibited moderate vigour and nutrient content, while the Mallika/Olour combination maintained high stomatal conductance and favourable growth traits. These findings confirm that both interstock and direct scion-rootstock combinations significantly influence plant physiology and nutrient dynamics. Anatomically, stomatal density and the complexity of the area were also significantly affected by the choice of interstock. Overall, these findings highlight the important role of interstocks in modifying plant vigour, physiology, and nutrient acquisition. Future studies are needed to assess the long-term field performance of these combinations under various agro-climatic conditions.

Papaya is one of the most important fruit crop in the tropical and sub-tropical region of India. However, the production of this economically important fruit crop is limited by the various biotic and abiotic stresses like papaya ring spot & leaf curl virus and low temperature during winter season. The affected plant shows stunted growth, small fruits with ring spot blemishes and drastically reduced fruit yield and TSS content of fruits. Hence, to reduce the risk of the crop loss an evaluation was carried out to compare of plant growth, yield and fruit quality of papaya var. Pusa Nanha under polyhouse and open field conditions at New Delhi. The seedlings of papaya were grown in insect proof net house and transplanted (50 days after sowing) in two growing conditions, viz., open field and polyhouse. The evaluation of papaya under polyhouse showed early flower initiation (64.67 days), higher number of leaf at flowering (18.33), petiole length (84.32), long fruiting zone (171.46), fruit set (46.23%), high fruit yield (34.56 kg/plant) compared to open field. The physical and chemical composition of papaya fruits, i.e. fruit firmness ((1.97 kg.cm⁻²), total soluble solids (11.3°Brix), ascorbic acid (75.26 mg/100 g pulp) were significantly improved under polyhouse over open field production. Papaya grown in polyhouse was almost free from the papaya ring spot virus, papaya leaf curl virus and less infected by collar rot, stem rot.

An experiment was carried out with 5 parent and 3 hybrid papaya genotypes to study the genetic variabilityand correlation between different yield attributing traits by evaluating 16 vegetative, reproductive, and fruit yieldcontributing traits during 2016–2017. The findings indicate that the maximum fruiting zone (129.8 cm) was in PS3 followed by PS 3 × P-7-9 (128 cm). The hybrid PS 3 × P-7-9 had maximum number of fruits per plant (44.67), minimum fruit weight (1020g) and maximum yield per plant (46.33 kg/plant) among the three hybrids evaluated. The phenotypic coefficient of variation (PCV) is higher than the genotypic coefficient of variation (GCV) for allthe traits studied. The genotypic variance and phenotypic variance were high for traits like leaf width, stemdiameter and fruit weight. Traits such as leaf length, petiole length, number of fruits per plant, fruit diameterand fruit yield exhibited higher value of GCV and PCV. Heritability for traits ranged from 53.83 to 99.49, of whichmajority of traits showed very high heritability, except some traits such as inflorescence size and fruit lengthwhich showed moderate heritability. Genetic advance (GA) was recorded highest for fruit length (179.13). Traitslike fruit yield, petiole length and leaf length exhibited high heritability accompanied by high to moderate geneticadvance indicating additive gene action, which suggest that selection may be effective for these traits. The trait, fruit yield was positively associated with plant height at flower initiation and maturity stage, stem diameter, daysto flowering, fruiting zone, number of fruits per plant and fruit diameter.

The experiment was carried out during 2014–15 to find out the nutritive value of female and hermaphrodite fruits of gynodioecious genotypes of papaya fruits to know their nutrient status. The fruits of five gynodioecious genotypes, namely, P-7-2, P-9-5, P-7-9, P-7-15 and commercial hybrid Red Lady, were evaluated for moisture content, protein, fibre, lycopene, β-carotene, phenols, flavonoids, and various antioxidant activities The total moisture per cent was found minimum (85.62) in P-7-9 followed by P-7-15 and P-9-5 (86.69). The maximum protein (8.71% on DW basis) was in P-9-5 and P-7-9. The lower moisture per cent, fibre, β-carotene, total phenols (31.79 mg GAE/100 g), flavonoids (31.75 mg QE/100 g) and free radical scavenging activity DPPH (0.27 μmol TE/g) were found significantly higher in hermaphrodite fruits of all gynodioecious genotypes. However, protein, lycopene and total carotene were observed higher in female fruits. Fruits of P-9-5 was found with highest amount of nutritive values, particularly total phenols, flavonoids and free radical scavenging activity DPPH followed by P-7-9, and P-7-15.

Mango (Mangifera indica L.) productivity improvement depends partly on the identification and characterization of suitable polyembryonic genotypes used in