Effect of different levels of nitrogen, phosphorus and potash on growth and flowering of Chrysanthemum cultivars

Field experiments were conducted for two consecutive years on medium black calcareous soil of Horticultural Instructional Farm, Junagadh Agricultural University, Junagadh. The experiment was laid out in factorial randomized block design with twenty four treatments replicated three times. The treatments consisted of two varieties of chrysanthemum viz., IIHR-6 (V1) and Shyamal (V2), three levels of nitrogen (100, 200 and 300 N kg ha - 1), two levels of phosphorus (100 and 150 P2O5 kg ha- 1) and two levels of potash (100 and 150 K2O kg ha -1). Both the varieties significantly influenced growth and flowering parameters, where, plant height, number of branches per plant and leaf area were observed higher in the variety IIHR-6 during both the years and in pooled results; whereas higher fresh and dry weight of plant, weight of 10 flowers, flowering span and dry weight of flowers were recorded in the variety Shyamal. The later variety also took more days for first flower bud initiation and first flower open. Application of nitro gen at 300 kg ha-1 recorded significantly highest plant height, number of branches per plant, leaf area, fresh and dry weight of plant, flowering span, total fresh and dry weight of flower, weight of 10 flowers and diameter of flower during the first year, second year and in pooled data. The dose @ 300 N kg ha-1 also took less days for first flower bud initiation and first flower open. Phosphorus also played a significant role in improving all of these attributes at higher level except, leaf area, fresh weight of plant, number of days taken for first flower open and flowering span. Effect of pot ash was failed to influence all of these growth and flowering parameters during both the years and in pooled results also.