Development of sustainable organic nutrient management package for improving growth, yield and flower quality of China aster var. Poornima in the Garhwal Himalaya

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted to develop a sustainable organic nutritional package for the cultivation of China aster var. Poornima under hilly region of Garhwal Himalaya. The experiment was laid out in randomized complete block design with 15 treatments replicated thrice. Among all the nutritional packages applied, tallest plants (77.72 cm), maximum plant spread (26.66 cm), number of primary branches and leaves per plant (8.86 and 253.75, respectively) were recorded in treatment T14 (50% FYM + 50% VC + 5% Panchgavya). Similarly, with respect to floral attributes i.e., earliness in bud appearance and flower opening (85.19 and101.62, days respectively), longest flowering duration (34.20 days), maximum flower diameter(6.39 cm), individual weight of flower (6.50 g), stalk length (31.56 cm), number of flowers per plant and per plot (32.26 and 516.16, respectively), flower yield per plant and per plot (209.63 g and 3.35 kg, respectively) and longest vase and shelf life (10.10 and 4.03 days, respectively) were recorded from the plants grown in plots supplied with 50 % FYM + 50% VC + 5% Panchgavya. Thus, from the present investigation it can be concluded that treatment 50 % FYM + 50% VC + 5% Panchgavya was found significantly effective in improving vegetative and floral attributes of China aster var. Poornima.