Response of Foliar Application of Nitrogen and Gibberellic Acid on Growth and Flowering

Himachal Journal of Agricultural Research Vol. 29 (1&2) : 59-64, 2003

Response of foliar application of nitrogen and gibberellic acid on growth and flowering of carnation (Dianthus caryophyllus L.)

V. K.Verma

Dr.Y.S. Parmar UHF Krishi Vigyan Kendra

Kandaghat, Solan 173215

Abstract

Studies were conducted to find out the optimum dose of nitrogen and gibberellic acid as foliar application for quality flower production in perpetual carnations during 1996-1997. The experiment was laid out in a factorial Randomized Block Design and the treatments consisted seven levels of nitrogen (0, 200, 500 and 1000 ppm at weekly and fortnightly intervals), three levels of GA3 (0, 50 and 100 ppm) and two cvs. (White Candy and Red Corso). The maximum plant height (65.94 cm) was recorded with nitrogen 1000 ppm per week and GA3 100 ppm applied twice. GA3 (50 ppm) produced buds of maximum size (1.83 cm). The maximum flower diameter (6.96 cm) was recorded with nitrogen 500 ppm per week and GA3 50 ppm. Nitrogen 1000 ppm per week produced the maximum number of flowers per plant (7.25). Maximum stem length (58.25 cm) was recorded with nitrogen 1000 ppm per week and GA3 100 ppm.

Introduction

Carnation (Dianthus caryophyllus L.) is one of the commercially important cut flowers of the world and ranks second in the cut flower trade after rose. For obtaining optimum plant growth and higher yield of good quality flowers, proper nutrition is essential. Nitrogen is important limiting factor in carnation nutrition as it is needed for both, vegetative as well as reproductive stage of growth. The deficiency of this nutrient is very commonly observed in this crop. Therefore, carnation plants need regular supply of nitrogen throughout the life cycle. Thus, its application in small doses but more frequently, favours better growth and flower production. Further, use of growth regulators is another tool in obtaining a good quality blooms. Of these gibberellic acid promotes the linear growth, lateral branching and improves the flower size (Mukhopadhyay, 1990). Keeping in view the above factors, the present investigations were undertaken to find out the optimum dose of nitrogen and gibberellic acid as foliar application for quality flower production in carnation.

Materials and Methods

The experiment was conducted at the experimental farm of the Department of Floriculture and Landscaping during 1996-97 using two cultivars namely, ‘White Candy’ and ‘Red Corso’. Before planting, 5 kg FYM, 15g nitrogen, 20g P2O5 and 10g K2O per square meter were mixed in the beds. Nitrogen was applied in two equal splits (7.5g at the time of planting and remaining half after 45 days of planting). Foliar application of nitrogen through urea was started after one month of planting. The sprays were done during morning hours (8.00 to 9.00 AM) with the help of knap-sack sprayer. T-pol (0.05%) was used as surfactant. Different treatments of nitrogen (200, 500 and 1000 ppm) were applied at weekly and fortnightly intervals. GA3 (50 and 100 ppm) was sprayed two times. First spray was done just after pinching and second when plants were 15-20 cm in height. The control plants received equal amount of water spray.

Hardened cuttings were transplanted in the first week of December at a spacing of 20 x 20 cm from plant to plant and row to row. The planting was done in the beds of one m2 area and one bed was kept under each replication. The distance between two beds was kept one feet. Data was analysed statistically using 2x3x7 factorial RBD with two levels of cultivars, three levels of GA3 and 7 levels of N.

Results and Discussion

In general, the plants of cultivar ‘Red Corso’ (63.76 cm) were found significantly taller than ‘White Candy’ (54.66 cm) (Table 1) which may be because of the difference in their genetic constitution. Significant increase in plant over control was observed only when the plants were sprayed either with 500 ppm of nitrogen per week or with 1000 ppm of it applied at weekly or fortnightly intervals.

Table 1. Effect of Nitrogen and GA3 sprays on plant height (cm)

GA3 (ppm)

Nitrogen White Red Mean

(ppm)/ Candy Corso 100 50 0

interval

Control 53.15 62.58 57.86 59.65 58.35 55.59

200/week 53.57 62.80 58.19 59.79 58.26 56.61

200/fortnight 52.75 62.55 57.65 58.86 57.82 56.28

500/week 56.68 64.86 60.77 62.28 60.68 59.35

500/fortnight 53.65 62.68 58.16 59.72 57.87 56.88

1000/week 57.86 66.80 62.33 65.94 61.73 59.33

1000/fortnight 54.95 64.06 59.51 61.30 59.70 57.51

Mean 54.66 63.76 61.08 59.20 57.35

CD0.05 for:

Cultivar 0.21

Nitrogen 0.41

GA3 0.27

Cultivar x Nitrogen 0.58

Nitrogen x GA3 0.71

However, maximum plant height (62.33 cm) was observed when nitrogen (1000 ppm) was applied at weekly intervals. Individual cultivar also showed similar behaviour to nitrogen application as their cumulative effect. Increase in plant height due to nitrogen application may be attributed to the role of N in cell division as well as in protein synthesis which ultimately enhances the vegetative growth (Mengel and Kirkby, 1987). This experiment has also confirmed the earlier views of Arora and Saini (1975) that high doses of nitrogen increases plant height. Both levels of GA3 increased plant height over control. Maximum plant height (61.08 cm) was recorded with GA3 100 ppm. Similar results have also been reported by Mukhopadhyay (1990) and Atherton and Harris (1980).

Cut stems of cultivar ‘Red Corso’ (55.02 cm) were longer as compared to White Candy (48.35 cm) (Table 2a). As regards the effect of nitrogen on stem length, it was

Table 2a. Stem length (cm) of two

cultivars of carnation

Cultivars Stem length (cm)

White Candy 48.35

Red Corso 55.02

C.D0.05 0.27

increased by all treatment with maximum stem length of 54.86 cm when the plants were sprayed with 1000 ppm at weekly intervals (Table 2b). The increase in stem length was noticed because of increase in the internodal length which was more when the plants were sprayed with nitrogen. Further, higher concentration of GA3 resulted in the production of longer stems as compared to the lower concentration. The interaction between nitrogen and GA3 show that maximum stem length (58.25 cm) was recorded when the plants were sprayed with GA3 100 ppm and also with nitrogen (1000 ppm) at weekly intervals. Such increase in stem length obtained with GA3 (100 ppm) is supported by the findings of Mynett (1979) and EL-Shafie (1980).

Table 2b. Effect of Nitrogen and GA3 on

Stem length (cm)

Nitrogen GA3 (ppm)

(ppm)/

interval 0 50 100 Mean

Control 47.68 50.85 51.96 50.16

200/week 49.04 50.78 52.18 50.67

200/fortnight 48.88 50.45 51.56 50.30

500/week 51.81 53.22 54.63 53.22

500/fortnight 49.38 50.40 52.36 50.71

1000/week 51.95 54.40 58.25 54.86

1000/fortnight 50.09 52.01 53.49 51.87

Mean 49.83 51.73 53.49

CD0.05 for:

Nitrogen 0.50

GA3 0.33

Nitrogen x GA3 0.87

Flower bud of cultivar ‘Red Corso’ (1.88 cm) were larger than ‘White Candy’ (1.68 cm) (Table 3). The maximum bud size (1.81 cm) was recorded with nitrogen 1000 ppm which was at par with all other treatments of nitrogen except 200 ppm sprayed at weekly intervals. Minimum bud size (1.74 cm) was recorded with nitrogen 200 ppm per week. So, definite trend in bud size was not observed under different nitrogen levels. There may be some other factor apart from nitrogen, which contributes to the bud development. In contrast both levels of GA3 increased bud size

Table 3. Effect of Nitrogen and GA3 on flower bud size (cm), number of flower per plant and per cent calyx splitting

Cultivars Bud size No. of flowers/plantCalyx splitting

(cm) (%)

White Candy 1.68 6.6218.89 (4.42)

Red Corso 1.88 6.9421.90 (4.74)

CD0.05 0.02 0.090.24

Nitrogen (ppm)/interval

Control 1.75 6.5723.06 (4.87)

200/week 1.74 6.6022.50 (4.83)

200/fortnight 1.76 6.6022.22 (4.77)

500/week 1.80 6.94 18.89 (4.42)

500/fortnight 1.78 6.67 21.94 (4.74)

1000/week 1.81 7.2515.00 (3.96)

1000/fortnight 1.81 6.83 19.17 (4.46)

CD0.05 0.05 0.160.45

GA3 (ppm)

0 1.73 6.46 22.95 (4.86)

50 1.83 6.79 23.10 (4.87)

100 1.78 7.08 22.94 (4.86)

CD0.05 0.03 0.11 NS

Figures in parentheses are the square root transformation of percentage

significantly. Maximum bud (1.83 cm) size was recoded with GA3 50 ppm and further increase in GA3 level decreased the bud size.

The role of GA3 in improving the bud size may be ascribed to the translocation of metabolites at the site of bud development.

Cultivar ‘Red Corso’ produced more flowers per plant than ‘White Candy’ (Table 3). Maximum number of flowers per plant (7.25) were recorded when nitrogen (1000 ppm) was sprayed at weekly intervals. All concentrations of nitrogen proved effective in increasing the number of flowers per plant. However, weekly application of nitrogen showed dominating effect over the fortnight application. Patel and Arora (1986) have also reported that application of nitrogen significantly increased the number of flowers. GA3 also increased number of flowers per plant, which confirmed the findings of Jana and Jahangir (1987). Similar effects of GA3 have also been reported in some winter annuals (Singh, 1966).

Cultivar ‘Red Corso’ showed more per cent calyx splitting (21.90) than ‘White Candy’ (18.89) (Table 3). The maximum per cent calyx splitting (23.06) was recorded in control, while the minimum (15.00) was recorded with nitrogen 1000 ppm per week. A decrease in the proportion of split calyces at relatively high nitrogen levels was previously reported by Winsor et al.(1970). Arora and Saini (1975) also reported a decrease in calyx splitting with increased nitrogen doses.

Cultivars differed significantly with respect to flower size. ‘Red Corso’ produced flowers of greater diameter than ‘White Candy’ (Table 4a). Maximum flower diameter (6.96 cm) was recorded with nitrogen 500 ppm per week and 50 ppm GA3. Foliar spray of urea (3 g/l) was also found to increase flower size in chrysanthemum and biweekly and weekly sprays were superior to fortnightly sprays for flower size (Singh, 1986). Maximum flower size with spray of GA3 (50 ppm) was also reported earlier by Mukhopadhyay (1990).

Table 4a. Flower size (cm) of two

cultivars of carnation

Cultivars Flower size (cm)

White Candy 6.61

Red Corso 6.71

C.D0.05 0.02

Table 4b. Effect of Nitrogen and GA3

on flower size (cm)

Nitrogen GA3 (ppm)

(ppm)/

Interval 0 50 100 Mean

Control 6.41 6.78 6.56 6.58

200/week 6.46 6.83 6.63 6.64

200/fortnight 6.42 6.84 6.69 6.65

500/week 6.50 6.96 6.67 6.71

500/fortnight 6.45 6.82 6.64 6.64

1000/week 6.50 6.85 6.75 6.70

1000/fortnight 6.47 6.84 6.67 6.66

Mean 6.46 6.85 6.66

CD0.05 for:

Nitrogen 0.04

GA3 0.03

Nitrogen x GA3 0.07

References

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