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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