Vol. 10, Issue 11 (2021)

Author(s):
BP Shirsat, KV Malshe, BR Salvi, SG Mahadik and CD Pawar

Abstract:
The present investigation was carried out at Floriculture Farm of College of Horticulture, Dapoli during the Rabi season of 2020-21 to assess the effect of plant growth regulator and pinching practice on flowering in gaillardia. The experiment was laid out in Factorial Randomized Block Design comprising seven treatments of plant growth regulators coupled with piching practices and replicated three times. Seven treatments were tried with three growth regulators (Main factor)as T₁-Control, T₂-Ethephon @500ppm, T₃-Ethephon @ 1000 ppm, T₄-GA₃ @ 100 ppm, T₅-GA₃ @ 200 ppm, T₆-CCC @ 1000 ppm and T₇- CCC @ 2000 ppm with pinching each consisting of two levels (Sub plot) as P₁-Pincning at 30 days after transplanting and P₂-No pinching. The significantly early initiation of flowering (60.33DAT), least number of days required for 50% flowering (70.00 days) and the longest flowering duration (137.83 days) were observed in treatment T₅ (GA₃ @ 200ppm). The delayed flowering initiation (81.83DAT) was observed in T₆ (CCC@1000ppm) treatment. Early initiation of flowering (69.67DAT) and least days required for 50% flowering (79.00 days) was observed in treatment P₂ (No pinching) where as P₁(Pinching at 30 DAT) took maximum days for initiation of flowering (73.43 days after transplanting). The least days required for initiation of flowering (59.00 days) were recorded in T₅P₂ (GA₃ @ 200 ppm + no pinching). The minimum number of days required for flower opening from bud stage (5.17 days) was recorded in T₄ (GA₃ @ 100 ppm).