Growth, flowering and quality of cut chrysanthemum (Dendranthema grandiflora Tzevelev.) cv. Yellow Gold, as influenced by different growth regulators

Abstract

An experiment was conducted to know the effect of growth regulators on growth, flowering and quality of cut chrysanthemum cv. Yellow Decorative with seven treatments which replicated trice. The growth regulators have been sprayed at 30 and 60 days after planting. Among different growth regulators, spraying of gibberellic acid at 150 ppm recorded significantly maximum (60.22 cm, 17.34 cm, 2.35 cm, 30.33, respectively) plant height, plant spread, internode length, number of leaves per plant, maximum leaf chlorophyll (9.40, 9.29, 23.68 mg/g of chlorophyll ‘a’, chlorophyll ‘b’ total chlorophyll, respectively) and carotenoid content (4.99 mg/g), early flowering (61.00 and 71.33 days of days to flower bud initiation and days for first flowering, respectively), longer (60.17 cm, 124.97 g and 3.78 days, respectively) stalk length, maximum weight of flower stalk and longer display life of flower were noticed in plants sprayed with gibberellic acid at 150 ppm. The growth, flowering and flower quality attributes were on par with plant sprayed with brassinosteroid at 0.5 ppm. Whereas, minimum (46.83 cm and 1.78 cm) plant height and internodal length was noticed in plant sprayed with cycocel at 750 ppm. Whereas, minimum (13.81 cm and 24.56, respectively) plant spread, number of leaves were recorded in the control and daminozide at 1000, respectively. Among flowering attributes control plants recorded delayed flowering. Whereas, among quality, the results were minimum in control.