Response of potting media composition for pot mum chrysanthemum production (Dendranthema grandiflora L.)

Abstract

An investigation was carried out with ten potting media for pot mum chrysanthemum production at Department of Horticulture, RCA Campus, MPUAT, Udaipur during 2016-2017 to find out suitable potting media combination for growth, floral and media analysis parameter. The experiment was laid out in Completely Randomized Design with 20 replications and 10 potting media as treatment. The data were analyzed by analysis of variance technique at 5% level of significance. The maximum value for plant height (20.45cm), plant spread (15.69cm), intermodal length (3.29, 4.54cm at 30,60 DAT), stem diameter (4.43mm), branches plant-1 (7.15), days to, flower diameter (1.91cm), spray plant-1 (7.60), days to flower withering (149.45). flower plant-1(50.60), flower weight (46.54gm.), flower durations (45.95days), pH (6.1), EC (0.64dsm-1), water holding capacity (87.85%) of potting media before transplanting, pH, EC, water holding capacity (7.3), (1.47 ds/m) and (97.36%) respectively after completion of flowering phase and percent plant survival (96.70), while earliest first flower bud appearance (75.30 days), bud show color (83 days), floral bud break (101.50 days) were recorded in potting media treatment combination consisting from Soil : Sand : FYM : Vermicompost (2:1:0.5:0.5 v/v). On the basis of result obtained it is concluded that potting media treatment combination consisting from Soil : Sand : FYM : Vermicompost (2:1:0.5:0.5 v/v) were found best for pot mum chrysanthemum production over treatments.