Effect of growth retardants on the growth and flowering of Chrysanthemum morifolium cv. Flirt

An experiment was conducted to study the effect of graded concentrations of foliar applied growth retardants (cycocel and B-nine) on the growth and flowering of Chrysanthemum morifolium cv. Flirt. Uniform rooted cuttings raised in pot soil culture received spray applications of growth retardants viz., cycocel and B-nine prepared in 0.1% Tween 80. Cycocel was applied at 1000, 2500 and 5000 mgL-1, whereas B-nine was applied at 100, 250 and 500 mgL-1 concentrations. Plants were sprayed at 2 and 6 weeks after transplantation. Visual observations, plant height, fresh mass, dry mass, number of laterals, number of inflorescences and inflorescence diameter were recorded at periodic intervals. Cycocel treated plants recorded a significant increase in fresh and dry mass of whole plants, leaves and roots, whereas B-nine treated plants were comparable with the controls. Cycocel and B-nine treated plants showed early emergence of buds and inflorescences, whereas no significant effect was recorded on number of laterals. Cycocel application resulted in the increase in inflorescence number. The present results suggest that the treatment effect may be cultivar dependant as many other cultivars of chrysanthemums have been chemically tailored with desired effects using cycocel and B-nine.