Effect of Foliar Spray of Primary Nutrients and their Frequency on Anthurium (Anthurium andreanum L.) var. Xavia under Protected Condition

Abstract

The experiment was conducted under protected conditions at the Polyhouse Complex, Department of Horticulture (Veg. and Flori.), Bihar Agricultural University, Sabour, Bhagalpur, Bihar during the year 2016-2017. The experiment was laid out in Factorial Completely Randomized Design with three replication and 10 treatment combinations, comprising five levels of water soluble fertilizer (1 g/l, 2 g/l, 3 g/l, 4 g/l and 5 g/l) and two frequencies of spray (once a week and twice a week). Plants were maintained in net house conditions (75% shade). The result indicated that among all treatment combinations, D5F2 (NPK 19:19:19 @ 5 g/l twice a week) found to be best in terms of vegetative growth, flowering and productivity of anthurium var. Xavia as it recorded maximum values for all the characters. The treatment combination D5F2 (NPK 19:19:19 @ 5 g/l twice a week) recorded maximum length and breadth of leaf (26.02 cm and 15.48 cm, respectively), plant spread east to west and north to south (62.67 cm and 62.37 cm, respectively), petiole length (36.76 cm), flower stalk length (29.17 cm), spathe length and breadth (9.61 cm and 8.30 cm, respectively) and higher yield of flowers per plant (4.13). It required minimum days (90.93 days) for first flower opening. Hence considering the positive effects on growth, flowering, yield and quality, the treatment combination D5F2 (NPK 19:19:19 @ 5 g/l twice a week) can be considered for adopting at the field level to get better qualitative and quantitative yield.