Effect of mulching and nitrogen application on growth and flowering of Gypsophila elegans M. Bieb

The present study was planned during Rabi season, 2019–20 to investigate the effect of mulching and nitrogen on growth and flowering of annual Gypsophila (Gypsophila elegans M. Bieb”). The experiment was laid out in Factorial Randomized Block Design (FRBD) with three replications comprising of three mulch treatments viz. paddy straw mulch (6 tonnes/ha), polythene mulch (30 micron) and without mulch combined with three nitrogen applications i.e. 5g+5g/m² (First application of 5g/m² one month after transplanting and second application of 5g/m² one month after first application), 5 g/m² +10 g/m² (First application of 5g/m² and second application of 10g/m²) and without any nitrogen application. Polythene mulch (30 micron) combined with 5 g/m² +10 g/m² nitrogen application resulted in maximum plant height (58.20 cm), plant spread (58.07 cm), number of primary and tertiary branches per plant (9.14 and 14.85, respectively) and yield (16.63) of cut stems per plant with acceptable (7.33 days) vase life. Flower opening was advanced in polythene mulch over other treatments, owing to the favourable changes induced in the root zone due to polythene mulch by increasing the soil temperature underneath it. From this study, it is inferred that the treatment nitrogen 5g/m² one month after transplanting and again 10g/m²,one month after the first application combined with 30 microns polythene mulch was the best treatment for growth and flower production in gypsophila.