'IV"" <oJ I I I :1 i I ) Jourl/alofOrnamelltal Horticulture, Vol. 6(2): 110-112(2003) Eff~t of GA3 on growth and yield of China aster Prabhat Kumar, S.P.S.Raghava, R.L.Misra and Krishan P. Singh Divisioll of Floriculture Il1ldumdscapillg, JAR/, NelliDelhi - 110012 Abstract Four cultivars of China aster, viz., Kamini, Poornima, Shashank and Violet Cushion were tried with three concentrations of GAy i.e. 50 ppm, ]00 ppm, 200 ppm and control using factorial randomized block design with three replications in each treatment. Among the cultivars, Kamini exhibited better performance in most of the characters, whereas among the treatments, 200 pm GA, was found best Key words: China aster, GA, China aster is a commercial annual. To produce quality flower, growth regulator spray is inevitable but an information on this is meagre. Hence the present studies were undertaken. Materials and Methods The studies were conducted during the period 1999-2001.Thecultivars subjected were Kamini (Vj)' Poornima (V2)' Shashank (VJ and Violet Cushion (V4). There were four treatments of GA" i.e. control (T), 50 ppm (T2), 100 ppm (T,) and 200 ppm (TJ. The spraying was done uniformly by wetting both the surfaces of the leaves thoroughly. Foliar application of GA, was given thrice, first after 30 days of transplanting and then after every 10 days. Teepol was used as surfactant. The recommended package of practices was followed. The observations were recorded on various growth and flowering parameters. Results and Discussion Plant height was increased significantly --.-.----- with the increasing concentration of G~ irrespective of the cultivar. Maximum plant height was recorded under 200 ppm GA, with the cultivar Kamini while minimum (38.00cm) under control with Violet Cushion. Increase in plant height with G~ application might be attributed to active cell elongation thus resulting in a considerable increase in internodal length. Plant height varied significantly among the cultivars also. This might be due to the differences in the genetic make up of the individual cultivars. Ii l .~'t. Ail .... <11"0 ~ ~:§ Ii: >- .. - ~ oW <II t:: ~.!!1 ,~ 0.. -oW ~..c:: <II b001:n ~ .Qj -= ~ ~ .... <II oW rI> IU IU t:: ... ..c:: U ..... 0 "0 Qi ">. "0 t:: «: IU Qi- ..c:: '" oW <C § ~ ':a- ~ j c 0 <'" L? I 'O';;;-"E ~ 0 ~.!!1 ti Z~o.. CI ...... 15 .... .. Qi ~ Qj 6' 0 e u <C- "'":a ... CI :;:; ~ rI> -- Qi o..c:: . u Z; .... .D The number of branches was markedly increased by GA, application. Application ofG~ at 200 ppm resulted in th~ maximum number of branches (21.73) with cv. Shashank, whereas. Poornima in control produced the least (11.97). Increase in the number of branches per plant as a result of GA, application can be explained in the light of the fact that GA3 interacts with auxins thus reduces the apical dominance and thereby results in the increased number of axillary branches. Increase in the number oW ..c:: boO .Qj - ~], is: §j .§ ~ (g 0\ «') 0\ 0 ~ ~ ~ N \0.000 ~ 00 0 .... «') 0 \0 «') «') 0 \0 «') 00 -.0 t-.: -.0 "<1' N «') Ln 0 \0 \0 0\ Ln 0\ «') ~, N N N ,; \0 0 0\ Ln ~ 00 "<1' 0\ .0 ..,; .0 <'i OLnLnO Ln ~ N 0 ~~~~ Ln N "<1' "<1' «') «') «') «') 0 0 0 «') 0 0 0 ('t') 00 t-.: t-.: <'i ~ Ln \0 ~ N N N N ~ ~ ~ 0 Ln 0\ N ~ -.0 ,; -.0 t-.: .... ~ ~ ~ ('t') ~ 00 ~ 0 -.0 0\ ..,; 00 "<1' ('t') "<1' ('t') GA, in China aster .... ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ t-.: 0 0 00 0\ .... .... ~ ('t') 0 ~ \0 ('t') 0\0 -.0 0\ 0\ 00 Ln N "<1' Ln ~ ~ \0 00 Ln 0 "<1' 00 N <'i N ..... ('t')\OOO\ 0000\00\ .0 ..,; .0 <'i 0 0 Ln 0 LnONLn .0 0 0 \0 \0 0\ 00 ~ "<1' Ln \0 ('t') N ('t') ('t') ('t') 0 ~ ~ LnO\O\O .0 N 0 0\ ~ 00 0 N N N N ('t') ('t') 0 ~ ~ "<1' 00 0\ t-.: N 00 00 .... 0 ('t') ~ ('t') ('t') ~ \0 .... 0 N -.0 0 Ln "<1' "<1' "<1' \0 0 ('t') Ln "<1' "<1' ~ ..0 <'i 00. 0 ('t') .... ~ 0 ~ ~ \0 0 \0 \0 .0 <'i N \0 ('t') "<1' \0 ~ \0 .... 00 N \0 .... N <'i N N Ln ~ 0\ 0 ~ .... .0 .0 .0 ~ Ln Ln Ln Ln N N ~ ~ <'i 0 0 N 0 0 N N ~ 00 0\ "<1' ('t') ('t') ('t') ~ ('t') 0 ~ \0 ('t') 0 \0 0\ .0 t--: N 0\ 0 0 ('t') N ('t') ('t') 0 ~ ('t') 0 0 \0 ~ 0 0 ..,; 0 ..... N N N ~ 0 ~ ('t') \0 0\ ('t') "<1' t-.: <'i .0 \0 "<1' Ln "<1' > ;>" ;>'";>. > ;>'" >:;>. >;> '" ;>'" ;>" ~ ~ ~ ~ E-<"E-<'"' E-<'"E-<'" E-< '" E-<'"E-<'"E-<'" 11 0\ Ln 0 0\ Ln \0 "<1' \0 N ..,; 0\ 0 ~ 0\ 0 "<1' ~ .... «') ('t') 0 ~ \0 r'1 r'1 ~ ~ \0 ~ M~ ~ N \0 0\ 0 \0 00 ('t') ~ N 0 N <'i N N 0 ('t') \0 N Ln 0 0 ~ N 0 ..0 .0 .0 ..,; 0 ~~~~~ ~ &; ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ .... ('t') ('t') ('t') 0 .... r'1 r'1 r'1 ~ ~ "<1' "<1' "<1' 00 0 ~ g MM .... ~ ~ ('t') ~ 0 C"'! ~ ~ ~ ('t') ~ ;!: c::i c::i ..... ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ :g ~ ..... ?fi. Ln oW <C > ;>'" >'" ;>" 0 E-< ... E-< .. E-< . E-< .. U