Abstract
An investigation was performed in Narsingdi, Sylhet, Mymensingh and Gazipur
districts during February 2014 to October 2016. Forty Burmese grape germplasm
were studied under the investigation. Ten germplasm were selected from each
location. All the plants aged between fifteen to twenty years. The experiments were
done to characterize the germplasm, to know the physico-chemical characteristics,
to study the floral biology, to standardize the method and time of vegetative
propagation and to study the storage behaviour of 40 selected Burmese grape
germplasm. Among the 40 germplasm, tree shape and growth habit of the 26 were
found spheroid and spreading type, 9 were ellipsoid and upright and 5 were obloid
and drooping type, respectively. Leaf type was simple, colour of young leaf was
light green, leaf lamina attachment was exstipulate, shape of leaf blade was elliptic,
leaf margin was entire and petiole wing shape was observed obovate in all the
germplasm. Flower in Burmese grape initiated from the second week of February
and completed in the last week of April. Flower type was unisexual and the position
of flower was cauliflori. Fruit shapes of 27 germplasm were spheroid and 13
germplasm were obloid type. Percentage of edible portion in the Burmese grape
also varied significantly. Maximum edible portion (56.10%) was noted in the
germplasm BS-033(G) and minimum edible portion (36.76%) was recorded in the
germplasm BS-008(N). Pulp firmness and texture of 40 germplasm were observed
soft and fleshy. The stages of floral bud development were divided into 08 distinct
stages starting from the initiation. A floral bud of Burmese grape took 23-28 days up
to anthesis. About 44% flowers were found to open between 3:00 to 5:00 am. and
38% flowers were found to open between 4:00 to 8:00 pm. Stigma became receptive
before 48 hrs. of anthesis and continued up to 60 hrs. after anthesis. In agar sugar
media, maximum pollen germination occurred at the time of anthesis. To
standardizing the method and time of vegetative propagation, maximum
percentage of grafting success and survivability were recorded in cleft grafting
followed by veneer grafting done in February and May. The minimum success and
survivability were recorded in side grafting done in December. Weight loss, fruit
decay, total sugar, reducing sugar, ẞ carotene and pH of juice increased while juice
content, vitamin-C and titrable acid content decreased with the increase of storage
period. Burmese grape fruit can be stored up to 7-8 weeks with non-perforated
polyethylene bag in ambient condition where the room temperature was 320 C at
day time and 27-290 C at night time.