The pre-harvest foliar application influenced the flower quality and vase life of chrysanthemum cultivars

Abstract

Standard chrysanthemum (Dendranthema grandiflorum) commonly known as Gul-e-Daudi or mum flower, is a short-day flowering plant belonging to the largest family of plants Asteraceae.1 It is known as queen of flowers. It is popular ornamental plant in point of view as a cut flower, potted plant and landscape plant.2 Chrysanthemum is a major cut-flower, economically very important and placed second in the rank after rose in the world.3 Chrysanthemum is the most popular flowering plant all over the world as well as in Pakistan. In Pakistan, it starts flower blooming from the month of November and blooming reaches to its peak in the month of December.4 Chrysanthemum is facing various problems like poor growth; unreliable flower setting, insect-pests and diseases as well as no information are available regarding to planting time and sucker size. These conditions ultimately resulted in low yields with poor quality of flowers.5 It is one of the main perennial flowering plant grown in winter throughout the country.6 The effect and influence of growth regulator is evident even in minute quantity, as gibbrellic acid (GA3) influences various growth parameters. 7 Cut flowers are very sensitive, because their degradation starts soon after detachment from parent plant and senescence induced by ethylene.8 Gibbrellic acid (GA3) is known to slow down leaf yellowing and control shedding of many famous cut flowers.9 Gibbrellin possesses stimulatory effect on various parameters of plant like germination, breaking dormancy, delaying senescence and ethylene activity as well as quality flower initiation.10 Post mutagenic application of GA3 significantly decreased the number of primary branches and pods plant-1 but stimulated secondary branches in chickpea.11 Application of gibbrellic acid (GA3) to chrysanthemum flower improves the quality and durability of cut flowers by reducing senescence activity.12 Also gibbrellic acid (GA3) plays a beneficial role in the longevity of many species of ornamental plants.13 As chrysanthemum is a famous winter flowering plant, the study was conducted to elaborate its ornamental and aesthetic value under the agro climatic conditions of Peshawar. To study the performance of best chrysanthemum cultivar under agro climatic condition of Peshawar for cut flowers and the response of pre-harvest treatment of gibbrellic acid (GA3) on vase life of chrysanthemum flowers.