Effect of growth retardants on growth and quality of ornamental foliage plant aglaonema

An investigation was carried out at Floriculture Research Station, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad, India, during rabi season of the year 2012–13 to study the effect of growth retardants on growth and quality of ornamental foliage plant aglaonema cv. Ernesto's Favourite. The experiment was laid out in Completely Randomized Design with three replications. One month old plants were transplanted in earthen pots of size 12"x12" size filled with a potting mixture containing red soil, sand and vermicompost in 2:1:1 proportion. Three growth retardants,viz., paclobutrazol (0.0625 mg, 0.125 mg, 0.185 mg, 0.25 mg), ancymidol (0.25 mg, 0.50 mg, 0.75 mg, 1.00 mg) and CCC (500 ppm, 1000 ppm, 15000 ppm, 2000 ppm) were applied as soil drenches at 30 and 60 DAT. At 150 DAT, maximum reduction in plant height (47.53 cm), canopy length (41.25 cm) and canopy width (44.63 cm) were recorded with soil drench application of paclobutrazol at 0.1825 mg/pot and paclobutrazol at 0.25 mg/pot was found to be on par. Lowest leaf area (140.66 cm²) and stem diameter (2.90 cm) were observed with paclobutrazol at 0.25 mg/pot and was on par with paclobutrazol at 0.1825 mg/pot. Highest visual plant grade (4.57), colour grade (4.60), chlorophyll-a (18.50 mg/g fresh wt) and chlorophyll-b (6.78 mg/g fresh wt) were recorded with paclobutrazol at 0.1825 mg/pot to which paclobutrazol at 0.25 mg/pot was found on par. Paclobutrazol 0.125 mg/pot was found to be on par with paclobutrazol 0.1825 mg/pot in respect of chlorophyll-a, visual plant grade and colour grade. Paclobutrazol 0.0625 mg/pot was found to be on par with paclobutrazol 0.1825 mg/pot for the parameters of visual plant grade and colour grade. There was no significant difference between the treatments for the parameter of number of leaves.