Evaluation of chrysanthemum (Dendranthema grandiflora Tzvelve) varieties for growth, quality and yield under eastern dry zones of Karnataka

Abstract

The present investigation was carried out at the experimental block of the Department of Floriculture and Landscape Architecture, College of Horticulture, Bengaluru. The experiment was laid out using a Randomised Complete Block Design with three replications to evaluate and identify the best performing chrysanthemum cultivar for commercial cultivation for Eastern Dry Zone of Karnataka. Among the ten chrysanthemum cultivars evaluated, the cv. Cream white recorded a higher plant height of 81.40 cm and the cv. Hemmady local recorded maximum plant spread in both East-West (61.73 cm) and North-South directions (59.20 cm), produced maximum number of primary (19.00) and secondary branches per plant (36.93) at the grand growth stage. Also recorded maximum duration of flowering (40.00 days), more number of flowers per plant (238.20) and higher stomatal frequency (3.53/0.13 mm 2 ) on the upper surface of the leaves. The cv. Chandini recorded maximum yield per hectare (10.40 t/ha) with maximum duration flowering (36.67 days). The cv. Kaveri Orange produced bigger flower having the flower diameter of 5.73 cm and longer shelf life in both ambient (4.33 days) and in refrigerated (3-5 °C) conditions (12.00 days). Days to 50 percent of flowering (88.33 days) was early in cv. Scent Yellow also recorded highest chlorophyll content of 67.95 SPAD values. The cv. Poornima Yellow recorded highest relative water content of 63.98 percent and cv. Red ruby recorded highest stomatal frequency on the lower surface (11.13/0. 13 mm 2 ) of the leaf. Thus, out of 10 cultivars screened, cv. Chandini, cv. Hemmaady Local and cv. Kaveri Orange were found highly suitable for commercial cultivation under the Eastern dry zones of Karnataka.