ABSTRACTThe investigation with the intention to study the effect of nitrogen levels and gibberellic acid on
growth and yield of gerbera under polyhouse conditions was conducted at Floriculture unit,
University Department of Horticulture, Dr.Panjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth, Akola (M.S.)
during June to November 2005. The results revealed that the vegetative growth in respect of
height of plant, number of leaves per plant, number of primary roots per plant were increased
with increasing levels of nitrogen and gibberellic acid. Maximum growth was obtained with
application of 30g nitrogen per square meter per month and 100ppm gibberellic acid at monthly
interval.
Gerbera (Gerbera jamesonii H.Bolus) is popularly
known as ‘Transval Daisy’. It is one of the natures
beautiful creation having excellent flowers of exquisite
shape, size and attractive colour. There is a great demand
for gerbera throughout the year in big cities and also have
export value. Therefore, gerbera growing under polyhouse
could be helpful to meet city requirements adequately.
Gerbera being a perennial plant, require plenty of oraganic
matter and adequate nutrient i.e. nitrogen, phosphorus,
and potassium for profuse growth and good flower
quality. The number of marketable flowers of gerbera
increased as both N and K rates increased up to 110kg/
ha (Dufault et al. , 1990).Use of PGR are being
increased to manipulate the growth, flowering and yield
of ornamental plants (Saini and Arora, 1974). Spraying
of GA3 at 50, 100, and 150ppm concentrations increased
the number of leaves, suckers, showed early flowering
and produced highest number of flowers per plot (Nair
et al., 2002)
Thus, keeping in view the potentialities of nutrition
and gibberellic acid in gerbera flower production, the
experiment was carried out with the objective, to study
the effect of different levels of nitrogen and gibberellic
acid on growth, flowering, and yield of flowers in gerbera
under polyhouse conditions.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
A pot experiment was carried out at Floriculture unit,
University Department of Horticulture, Dr.Panjabrao
Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth, Akola (M.S.) during June
to November 2005. Experiment was laid out in
semicontrol modified Quonset type polyhouse. Green
shade net (50%) was provided inside polyhouse. Sterilised
cocopeat media was filled in the pot of equal size. Three
months hardened tissue culture plants of variety Sangria
were planted in pot of 30cm x 30cm size. The experiment
which was embedded in a FRBD with three replications
and sixteen treatment combinations comprising of four
levels of nitrogen (0, 10, 20 and 30g /m2 /month) and
gibberellic acid (0, 50,100,150ppm at monthly interval).
Nitrogen was applied as per the treatments however,
phosphorus, and potassium were applied @ 12.5g and
15g /m2/ month, respectively at 15 days interval. Straight
fertilizers viz., urea, SSP and MOP were applied. Proper
irrigation was done throughout the experiment as and
when required. Whenever inside temperature of polyhouse
was increased, fan and pad system as well as foggers
were operated to maintain the optimum temperature and
humidity. The incidence of aphids, white flies were
controlled by spraying with diamethoate @1.5ml/l.
Similarly collar rot were controlled by alternate drenching
of redomil @ 2g/l. The observations on growth, flowering
Key words : Gerbera, Nitrogen, Gibberellic acid, Yield, Quality
•HIND AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH AND TRAINING INSTITUTE•
Effect of nitrogen levels and gibberellic acid on growth and yield of gerbera
under polyhouse conditionANURADHA JADHAO, SONIYA TAMGADGE, ANITA DESHMUKH, NAYANA TELGOTE AND VIJAY
BODAKHE
See end of the article for
authors’ affiliations
Correspondence to :
SONIYA TAMGADE
Department of Agriculture,
M.S.S.C.A., Seed Testing
Laboratory, AKOLA (M.S.)
INDIA
Jadhao, Anuradha, Tamgadge, Soniya, Deshmukh, Anita, Telgote, Nayana and Bodakhed, Vijay (2010). Effect of nitrogen levels and
gibberellic acid on growth and yield of gerbera under polyhouse condition, Asian J. Hort., 5 (2) : 341-343.
The Asian Journal of Horticulture; Vol. 5 No. 2; (December, 2010) : 341-343
Received : May, 2010; Accepted : October, 2010
Research Paper
•HIND AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH AND TRAINING INSTITUTE•
342
[Asian J. Hort., Vol. 5 (2); Dec., 2010]
ANURADHA JADHAO, SONIYA TAMGADGE, ANITA DESHMUKH, NAYANA TELGOTE AND VIJAY BODAKHE
and yield of flowers were recorded from
randomly selected four plants and then the
average of four plants was taken in each
treatment.
The data collected and recorded during
courses of investigation were subjected to
statistical analysis as per the method of
analysis of variance (Panse and Sukhatme,
1979) for FRBD. The results have been
interpreted on the basis of F test and C.D.at
5%
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Different levels of nitrogen and
gibberellic acid influenced the plant growth
characters (Table 1). Higher level of nitrogen
(30g/m2/month) and gibberellic acid (150ppm
at monthly interval) exhibited significantly
superior growth in respect of height of plant
(48.43cm), number of leaves per plant
(31.06), number of primary roots per plant
(31.31) and length of primary roots (46.64cm).
These results are in close agreement with the
findings of Khan et al.(1997). Similarly Higher
level of nitrogen (30g/m2/month) was found
significant in respect of flower production per
plant (13.44). The treatment N1
(10g/m2/
month) was found significant in respect of
days required for bud initiation (26.92). In
respect of days required for flowering from
bud initiation, treatment N2 (20g/m2/month)
was found superior (12.55). This similar result
was observed by Nair et al.(2002a) in
gerbera.
With regard to gibberellic acid G1
treatment (50ppm at monthly interval) was
found effective in respect of days required
for bud initiation (27.98) and days required
for flowering (14.13) from bud initiation. The
treatment G2 (100ppm at monthly interval)
was superior for number of flowers per plant
(13.36). Similar results were also obtained by
Gurav et al.(2002), Nair et al.(2002b) in
gerbera.
The interaction between nitrogen and
gibberellic acid (N x GA3) improved the
various characters of gerbera crop better than
their effects in isolation. Amongst the various
treatments combinations, N3G
3 (30g nitrogen
per square meter + 150ppm gibberellic acid
at monthly interval) exhibited significantly
343
[Asian J. Hort., Vol. 5 (2); Dec., 2010] •HIND AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH AND TRAINING INSTITUTE•
EFFECT OF NITROGEN LEVELS & GIBBERELLIC ACID ON GROWTH & YIELD OF GERBERA
superior results in respect of number of flowers per plant
(14.59) (Table 2).
Therefore, it is concluded that 30g nitrogen per square
meter per month and spraying 100ppm of gibberellic acid
at monthly interval should be applied for obtaining higher
yield of flowers of gerbera under polyhouse condition.
Authors’ affiliations:
A.B. JADHAO, University Department of Horticulture,
Dr. Panjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth, AKOLA
(M.S.) INDIA
ANITA DESHMUKH, Department of Extension
Education, Dr. Panjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth,
AKOLA (M.S.) INDIA
NAYANA TELGOTE, Department of Agriculture,
M.S.S.C.A., Seed Testing Laboratory, AKOLA (M.S.)
INDIA
VIJAY BODAKHE, W.A.L.M.I., AURANGABAD
(M.S.) INDIA
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