Vol. 12, Issue 4 (2023)

An investigation was undertaken in form of a field experiment at the Agricultural Research Station, Binjhagiri, Chhatabara, Institute of Agricultural sciences, Siksha 'O' Anusandhan (Deemed to be University), Bhubaneswar during 2020-2021. The experiment was conducted on Factorial Randomized Block design consisting of factor viz, planting dates. The present investigation four dates of planting viz., D1 (24th December 2020), D2 (8th January 2021), D3 (23rd January 2021) & D4 (7th February 2021) are carried out. The result of the study revealed that among four different planting dates tried, plants grown under 24th December planting exhibited better performance with respect to several growth and flowering parameters. Plants with maximum height (66.50 cm), number of leaves (1274.22nos), spread in E-W (63.03 cm) & N-S (60.83 cm), number of primary branches (14.58 nos.) & basal stem diameter (1.20 cm), number (113.93) and weight of flowers 152.67 g) per plant and per plot (4101.60 nos and 5.50 kg), as well as per hectare (47,47222.22nos and 63.61q) with maximum size/diameter (2.66 cm) of flower were recorded under December planted crop. Performance of plants under 8th January planting with respect to plant height (61.26cm)., basal stem diameter (1.15 cm), flower size (2,21 cm), weight of flowers per plant (58.42 g), per plot (2.10 kg) and per hectare (24.34 q) was next to December planting. While several growth parameters like number of leaves, plant spread, number of primary branches per plant and floral parameters like earliest to 50% flowering and number of flowers per plant, per plot and per hectare showed improvement under 23rd January planting next to December planting. On the other hand, performance of plants with respect to almost all parameters was very poor under the 7th February planting date which recorded minimum height (43.40 cm),number of leaves (700.25nos), spread of E-W (36.61 cm) and N-S (34.18 cm), number of branches (9.91 nos.), number (51.76) & weight (49.23 g/plant) of flowers per plant, least diameter (1.79 cm), number and weight flowers per plot (1863.20nos and 1.77 kg) as well as number and weight flowers per hectare (21,56481.48nos and 20.51q).