Studies on the effect of fertigation in greenhouse chrysanthemum

Abstract

Investigations were carried out to study the effect of levels of fertigation on growth and yield of chrysanthemum cv. Punch. The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse with nine treatments and three replications. The treatments comprised of four fertigation levels without micronutrients [75, 100, 125 and 150 percent recommended dose of fertilizers viz., 16:4:16 g NPK / m2 /crop, and four fertigation levels with micronutrients (75, 100, 125 and 150 percent RDF with 0.2 percent micronutrient mixture as foliar spray) along with a check (without fertilizers). Fertigation levels had a significant influence on growth and yield parameters at three stages of growth. T6 recorded highest plant height (60.57cm, 90.34 cm and 138.90 cm), number of leaves (28.70, 36.54 and 38.44), total leaf area (1003.17 cm2, 1253.56 cm2 and 1328.77 cm2), days to harvest (95.74 days), flower stalk length (132.24 cm) and stem yield / m2 (77.68). However, earlier days taken for bud appearance (45.08 days), the maximum number of flowers per stalk (15.55), increased unopened and opened flower bud circumference of 3.56 cm and 8.54 cm was recorded in T7.