Studies on effect of different plant growth regulators on growth, flowering and quality of daisy (Aster amellus L.) cv. Dwarf Pink

A field study was conducted in the Department of Floriculture and Landscape Architecture at K. R. C. College of Horticulture, Arabhavi during July 2010 to October 2010, to know the effect of foliar application of different plant growth regulators on growth, flowering andquality of daisy cv. Dwarf Pink. The experiment was laid out in a randomized completely block design,with three replications and 17 treatments, which comprised of four plant growth regulatorsviz., GA₃, IBA, NAA each at concentrations of 25, 50, 100 and 150 ppm; Cycocel at concentrations of 50, 100, 200 and 400 ppm and control sprayed with water. All the growth regulators significantly influenced the growth, flowering and quality of spikes. Among the different growth regulators sprayed, GA₃ at 150 ppm resulted in maximum plant height (30.75 cm), leaf length (14.77 cm), leaf width (2.54 cm), leaf area (1008.80 m²), early flowering i.e.,days to first flowering and days to 50 per cent flowering (56.30 days and 60.42 days, respectively), spike length (28.88 cm) and rachis length (26.53 cm).GA₃ at 100 ppm recorded more flower size (3.37 cm). Whereas, highest plant spread (27.09 cm E-W and 26.42 cm N-S), dry matter production (14.42 g/plant), number of spikes per plant per season (8.10) andspike yield per plot season (560.88) were observed in the plants sprayed with Cycocel at 400 ppm. However, Cycocel at 200 ppm recorded more vase life (7.13 days).