Author(s):

AA Bajad, BP Sharma, YC Gupta, BS Dilta and RK Gupta

Abstract: The investigations entitled ‘Effect of different planting times and mulching materials on flower quality and yield of China aster cultivars’ were carried out at the experimental farm of Department of Floriculture and Landscape Architecture, Dr Y S Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, Solan, Himachal Pradesh during 2015-2016. The experiment was laid out in a Randomized Block Design (factorial) consisting of 48 treatment combinations of four planting dates viz., D₁- mid of March, D₂ -mid of April, D₃-mid of May and D₄- mid of June and two cultivars namely V₁- Kamini and Poornima-V₂ with six mulching materials i.e. M­₀-without mulch, M₁- Black plastic mulch (100 µ), M₂-Silver plastic mulch (100 µ), M₃-Transparent plastic mulch (100 µ), M₄- Pine needle (1 inch) and M₅-Grass (1 inch layer). Among different planting times, D₁ i.e. mid March planting obtained best results for plant height (107.70 cm), plant spread (55.54 cm), number of flowers per plant (72.54), flower yield per plant (198.70 g). However, number of days taken for flower bud formation (108.24 days), 50 per cent flowering (124.46 days), flower diameter (5.47 cm), duration of flowering (55.90 days), fresh flower weight (301.67 g), were recorded to be best in mid of June. Among the cultivars, cv. ‘Poornima’ gave best results for plant height (89.34 cm), Plant spread (47.99 cm), flower diameter (4.77 cm), flowering duration(51.83 days) and fresh weight of 100 flower (291.64 g) whereas minimum number of days taken for flower bud formation (99.04 days), 50 per cent flowering (118.25 days) and were recorded in cv. ‘Kamini’. However, cv. ‘Kamini’ recorded the maximum number of flowers (57.16), flower yield per plant (158.62 g).Silver plastic obtained best results for plant height (84.48 cm), plant spread (48.39 cm), number of flowers per plant (47.89), flowering duration (51.53 days), flower diameter (4.73 cm), fresh weight (291.67 g), flower yield per plant (134.73 g) and minimum days taken for flower bud formation (115.91 days) and 50 per cent flowering (136.60 days).

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