Vol. 12, Issue 2 (2023)

Author(s):
Yogendra Kumar, Thupten Tsomu, Anil K Singh, Kalyan Baman, Tijeshwari Sahu and Priyanka Kumari

Abstract:
Effect of different doses of paclobutrazol on cosmos plants as soil drench was studied in a field experiment at Experimental farm of the Department of Horticulture, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi (U.P.) during 2021-22. Eight different dosages of paclobutrazol (1.25, 2.75, 3.75, 5.00, 6.25, 7.50, 8.75 and 10.00 mg/L) and control (0 mg/L) were used as a treatment. The experiment was laid out in randomized block design with nine treatments and four replications. Significant results were obtained in various growth and flowering parameters of cosmos due to drenching with paclobutrazol. The application of PBZ 10.00 mg/L as a soil drench resulted in maximum reduction in plant height at 60 DAT (36.50 cm) and 90 DAT (65.51 cm). PBZ 1.25 mg/L treatment resulted in maximum number of primary branches per plant at 60 DAT (15.02 branches/plant) and 90 DAT (22.04 branches/plant) as well as maximum number of secondary branches per plant at 60 days (24.49) and 90 days after transplanting (99.25).The application of PBZ 5.00 mg/L as a soil drench resulted in maximum leaf area (92.21 cm²) as compared to other treatments and control while again PBZ 1.25 mg/L resulted in the highest number of leaves per plant (481.34). Delayed flowering was observed with PBZ 3.75 mg/L showing maximum duration for initiation of flower bud (58.16 days), flower opening (75.00 days) and flower withering (82.08 days) while PBZ 1.25 mg/L reported maximum number of flowers per plant (111.36) while maximum flower diameter (9.01 cm) was produced by the plants treated with PBZ 5.00 mg/L.