Effect of nano scale nutrients on growth flower yield and vase life of Gerbera Gerbera jamesonii Bolus ex Hooker F grown under polyhouse conditions

Abstract

The present investigation Effect of nano scale nutrients on growth, flower yield and vase life of Gerbera (Gerbera jamesonii Bolus ex Hooker F.) grown under polyhouse conditions was conducted during the period from November 2018 to September 2020 at College of Horticulture, Dr. Y.S.R Horticultural University, Anantharajupeta, Y.S.R District of Andhra Pradesh. newlineExperiment-I was laid out in Completely Randomized Design CRD with three replications and nine treatments (T1: Nano ZnO at 100 ppm, T2: Nano ZnO at 150 ppm, T3 : Nano ZnO at 200 ppm, T4: Nano ZnO at 300 ppm, T5: Nano FeO at 100 ppm, T6: Nano FeO at 150 ppm, T7: Nano FeO at 200 ppm,T8: Nano FeO at 300 ppm and T9: Control (water spray)). Among different concentrations of nano ZnO used, ZnO at 300 ppm recorded maximum plant height (36.85 cm) number of leaves plant-1 (24.60), leaf length (27.51 cm), leaf width (12.53 cm), leaf area (276.00 cm2), plant spread (36.20 cm), flower stalk length (58.40 cm), stalk diameter (7.79 mm), neck diameter (5.80 mm), flower head diameter (11.90 cm), flower disc diameter (2.70 cm) and number of flowers plant-1 (18.40) whereas ZnO at 200 ppm took minimum number of days for flower bud initiation (47.07 days), number of days taken for bud burst (52.00 days) and days taken taken to reach marketable stage from bud burst (5.80 days). newlineAmong different concentrations of nano FeO applied, FeO at 300 ppm has significantly increased plant height (35.55 cm), number of leaves plant-1 (22.43), leaf length (26.98 cm), leaf width (12.20 cm), leaf area (263.81 cm2) and plant spread (33.37 cm), maximum flower stalk length (56.97), stalk diameter (7.57), neck diameter (5.63), flower head diameter (11.73), flower disc diameter (2.40) and number of flowers plant-1 (17.97) and also took lesser number of days for flower bud initiation (49.07 days), number of days taken for bud burst (53.93 days) and days taken taken to reach marketable stage from bud burst (6.07 days). newlineExperiment-II was carried out to study the effect of nano and conventional forms of zinc and