Response of China aster varieties to pinching for growth, yield and quality

A field experiment to find out response of China aster varieties to pinching for growth, yield and quality was conducted at farm of Horticulture Section, College of Agriculture, Nagpur. The experiment consisted of sixteen treatments of four China aster varieties with four pinching treatments and it was laid out in Factorial Randomized Block Design with three replications. Maximum plant height was found in Phule Ganesh Purple variety. Plant height was significantly reduced with double pinching compared to control treatment of pinching i.e. without pinching. Whereas, spread of plant was found maximum in Phule Ganesh Pink as well as under the treatment of single pinching at 30 days after transplanting. Maximum flowering span was found in Phule Ganesh White as well as the treatment of double pinching at 30 and 45 days after transplanting. Yield characters were found to be maximum in Phule Ganesh White variety with single pinching treatment at 30 days after transplanting.