Evaluation of Dahlia (Dahlia variabilis L.) genotypes under Tarai conditions of Uttarakhand

The present investigation was conducted to evaluate the performance of sixteen genotypes of Dahlia based on vegetative and floral attributes at the Model Floriculture Centre, G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Present findings revealed that among all the varieties of Dahlia, maximum plant height (88.18 cm), number of leaves (48.66), number of branches (8.75), plant spread (57.83 cm) and stem girth (1.50 cm) were observed in Mother Teresa, Mangal Pandey, Tufan, Sohire and S. P. Kamla, respectively. While minimum days taken for the first bud appearance (35.26 days) and days taken for the first flower opening (96.46) were recorded in Blackout and Mangal Pandey, respectively. Whereas in terms of flower quality, Jijshu recorded significantly better performance like maximum flower diameter (22.75 cm) and flower weight (68.90 g). Maximum number of flowers (17.66) and vase life (7.67 days) were recorded in S. P. Kamala. It was observed from the experimental results that S.P. Kamala was suitable for cultivation in the Tarai regions of Uttarakhand during the winter season period. The overall performance of all the cultivars was influenced by their heritability and environmental conditions.