EFFECT OF SPATIAL ARRANGEMENT AND FOLIAR APPLICATION OF GROWTH REGULATING HORMONE ON THE FLOWER HEAD DEVELOPMENT OF COCKSCOMB UNDER THE TROPICAL ARID ENVIRONMENT OF SOUTHERN PUNJAB, PAKISTAN

This investigation was carried out at Experimental Farm, Faculty of Agriculture Science and Technology, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan (Pakistan). The objective of this study was to produce high quality Celosia flower head as cut flower under the harsh environmental conditions of southern Punjab by using different plant spacing and different concentrations of Gibberellin (GA3). The seedlings were grown by seed and then transplanted in the field in the first week of August. Seedlings were irrigated daily and fertilized with 100 ppm NPK solution with alternate irrigation before transplanting. Field was well prepared by irrigation and spading twice and adding about 1.5 kg Diammonium phosphate (DAP) at the rate of 150 kg/hectare as phosphorus source, about 2 kg Muriate of Potash (MOP) at the rate of 200 kg/hectare as potash source and about 1kg urea at the rate of 100 kg/hectare as nitrogen source prior to transplanting. Then, seedlings were transplanted in randomized complete block design. There were three levels/concentrations of GA3 (0, 25 and 50 mg/l) and three levels of plant spacing (22.50, 30.00 and 37.50 cm) making overall 9 treatments and these treatments were tested in 3 replications. The analysis of variance indicated that best results were achieved when plant spacing of 37.5cm was used in combination with GA3 application (at the rate of 50 mg/l) where significant increase in chlorophyll contents, leaf area and number of leaves, fresh and dry weight of stem, flower diameter and fresh and dry weight of flower of Celosia cristata were found compared to all other treatments tested.