Influence of Growth Retardants on Growth of Potted Alstroemeria (Alstroemeria hybrida L.)

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the influence of different concentrations of Alar (Diaminozide) and Ethephon (Ethrel) as spray applications on two cultivars of pot grown Alstroemeria to study their effect on different vegetative parameters under shaded conditions during two successive flushes in the year 2016 – 2017 at the Research farm of Division of Floriculture and Landscape Architecture, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir, Shalimar Campus Srinagar, in 2017. Fourteen different treatments with two cultivars (Pluto, New Pink) were used with four concentrations of Alar (0, 500, 1000 and 1500ppm) and Ethephon (0, 1000, 1500, 2000 ppm) were replicated thrice in a Completely Randomized Design. The investigation revealed that with application of Alar at 1500 ppm maximum reduction of height and number of leaves was observed in both cultivars in successive flushes followed by Ethephon 2000 ppm and Alar at1000ppm. Plant spread, diameter of shoots and chlorophyll content increases by application of Alar at1500 ppm. Height reduction of (33.05% and 21.21%) was observed in cultivar New Pink and Pluto respectively.