<p style="text-align: justify;">Chrysanthemum is an important crop grown as loose flower, cut flower, pot culture and bedding plant. It is highly suitable for floral decoration in marriage palaces, social functions, for making garlands and worship at religious places, bouquet making and flower arrangements.</p> <h2 style="text-align: justify;">Climate and Soil</h2> <p style="text-align: justify;">Chrysanthemum normally flowers during November and December under <a title="External website that opens in new window" href="https://egovernance.vikaspedia.in/viewcontent/e-governance/states/punjab?lgn=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-page-id="2514">Punjab</a> conditions, while some varieties may flower early in the month of October. The optimum temperature requirement for this crop is 25°C during the day and 15°C during night and the day light for good quality flower production is 13.5 hours. Light to heavy textured well drained, sandy loam soil rich in organic matter having pH of 6.5 is ideal soil for chrysanthemum. Chrysanthemum is a shallow and fibrous rooted plant and is very sensitive to water logged conditions.</p> <h2 style="text-align: justify;">Improved Varieties</h2> <ol> <li style="text-align: justify;"><a title="External website that opens in new window" href="https://energy.vikaspedia.in/viewcontent/energy/policy-support/state-wise/punjab?lgn=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-page-id="25851">Punjab</a> Shingar (2018) requires 122 days for flowering after transplanting, plants are about 62 cm tall having upright growth habit, flowers are white in colour, decorative type and 7.0 cm in diameter, its flower yield is 179.5 q/ha and suitable for loose flower production.</li> <li style="text-align: justify;"><a title="External website that opens in new window" href="https://egovernance.vikaspedia.in/viewcontent/e-governance/states/punjab?lgn=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-page-id="2514">Punjab</a> Mohini (2018) requires 93 days for flowering, plants are 15 cm tall, flowers are single Korean type, white in colour with yellow center, this variety produces 331 flowers per plant and suitable for pot culture.</li> <li style="text-align: justify;"><a title="External website that opens in new window" href="https://energy.vikaspedia.in/viewcontent/energy/policy-support/state-wise/punjab?lgn=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-page-id="25851">Punjab</a> Shyamli (2015) requires 117 days for flowering, plants are about 75 cm tall, flowers are pompon type, purple with dark purple center and 5.3 cm in diameter, this variety produces 4 sprays per plant and suitable for cut flower production.</li> <li style="text-align: justify;">Reagan White (2008) requires 103 days for flowering, plants are 83 cm tall, flowers are single Korean type, white in colour and 8.43 cm in diameter, this variety produces 4 sprays per plant and suitable for cut flower production.</li> <li style="text-align: justify;">Reagan Emperor (2008) requires 104 days for flowering, plants are 79 cm tall, flowers are single Korean type, purplish pink in colour and 8.5 cm in diameter, this variety produces 4 sprays per plant and suitable for cut flower production.</li> <li style="text-align: justify;">Kelvin Mandarin (2008) requires 102 days for flowering, plants are 48 cm tall, flowers are copper in colour, pompon type and 4.5 cm in diameter, this variety produces 4 sprays per plant and suitable for cut flower production.</li> <li style="text-align: justify;">Kelvin Tattoo (2008) requires 101 days for flowering, plants are 41 cm tall, flowers are cadmium yellow with red center in colour, pompon type, and 3.37 cm in diameter, this variety produces 4 sprays per plant and suitable for cut flower production.</li> <li style="text-align: justify;">Yellow Charm (2008) requires 101 days for flowering, plants are 17 cm tall, flowers are single Korean type, bright sulphur yellow in colour, this variety produces about 287 flowers per plant and suitable for pot culture.</li> <li style="text-align: justify;">Mother Teresa (2008) requires 119 days for flowering, plants are 37 cm tall, flowers are anemone type, white with cream center, this variety produces about 136 flowers per plant and suitable for pot culture.</li> <li style="text-align: justify;">Anmol (2007) requires 144 days for flowering, plants are 50 cm tall, flowers are anemone type, bright yellow in colour, this variety produces about 208 flowers per plant and suitable for pot culture.</li> <li style="text-align: justify;">Royal Purple (2007) requires 141 days for flowering, plants are 45 cm tall, flowers are anemone type, purplish pink in colour, this variety produces 201 flowers per plant and suitable for pot culture.</li> <li style="text-align: justify;">Yellow Delight (2007) requires 88 days for flowering, plants are 66 cm tall, flowers pompon type, bright yellow in colour having 5.2 cm diameter, this variety produces 5 sprays per plant and suitable for cut flower production.</li> <li style="text-align: justify;">Autumn Joy (2007) requires 101 days for flowering, plants are 58 cm tall, flowers are decorative type, pink in colour, this variety produces 283 flowers per plant and suitable for garden decoration.</li> <li style="text-align: justify;">Garden Beauty (2007) requires 132 days for flowering, plants are 70 cm tall, flowers are spoon type, dark maroon in colour, this variety produces 73 flowers per plant and suitable for garden decoration.</li> <li style="text-align: justify;">Winter Queen (2007) requires 128 days for flowering, plants are 75 cm tall, flowers are spoon type, pink in colour, this variety produces 125 flowers per plant and suitable for garden decoration.</li> <li style="text-align: justify;">Punjab Gold (2001) requires 76 days for flowering, plants are 23 cm tall, flowers are semi-double coppery red at tight-bud stage changing to yellow at full bloom, this variety produces 84 flowers per plant and suitable for pot culture.</li> <li style="text-align: justify;">Birbal Sahani (1997) requires 121 days for flowering, plants are 65 cm tall having upright growth habit, flowers are compact, pompon type, snow white in colour having 4.8 cm diameter, its flower yield is 32.0 q/ha and suitable for loose flower production.</li> <li style="text-align: justify;">Baggi (1997) requires about 137 days for flowering after transplanting, plants are 65 cm tall having upright growth habit, flowers are snow white in colour, decorative type and 5.1 cm in diameter, its flower yield is 143.0 q/ha and suitable for loose flower production.</li> <li style="text-align: justify;">Ratlam Selection (1997) requires about 138 days for flowering after transplanting, plants are 57 cm tall having upright growth habit, flowers are creamish white in colour, decorative type and 8.1 cm in diameter, its flower yield is 175.0 q/ha and suitable for loose flower production.</li> </ol> <h2 style="text-align: justify;">Agronomic Practices</h2> <h3 style="text-align: justify;">Field Preparation</h3> <p style="text-align: justify;">The field is ploughed two to three times before planting. The planting beds are well prepared after incorporating well rotten farm yard manure @ 20 tonnes/acre at least one month before planting of rooted cuttings. At the time of final field preparation, add 80 kg P<sub>2</sub>O<sub>5</sub> (500 kg Single Super Phosphate) and 80 kg K<sub>2</sub>O (133 kg Muriate of Potash) per acre as basal dose.</p> <h3 style="text-align: justify;">Method of Propagation</h3> <p style="text-align: justify;">Chrysanthemum is propagated through terminal cuttings or suckers under partial shade conditions. Five to seven cm long terminal cuttings are taken from healthy mother plants from mid June to end of July. Basal 2-3 leaves are clipped off and cuttings are planted in propagation trays filled with burnt rice husk or sand as rooting medium. The trays are kept under shade net and cuttings are watered 2-3 times daily to maintain high humidity which is highly desired to prevent desiccation of the cuttings and for the formation of roots. The cuttings root in 2-3 weeks and are ready for transplanting in field, pots or beds.</p> <h3 style="text-align: justify;">Maintenance of mother stock plants</h3> <p style="text-align: justify;">Healthy suckers sprout from plants after flowering in the month of February. During this period healthy suckers are uprooted from the main field and again planted on raised beds. Pinching is done during April and May to get sufficient number of terminal cutting in the month of June.</p> <h3 style="text-align: justify;">Planting</h3> <p style="text-align: justify;">Rooted cuttings are transplanted in the field in the end of July to first week of August at a distance of 30x30 cm in the evening hours to avoid desiccation. Spacing may be reduced up to 30x15 cm if planting is delayed. Irrigate the field immediately after transplanting. Pots are prepared by transplanting one rooted cutting of standard varieties and three cuttings of spray varieties per pot of 8 inch size. Pots are filled with 2 parts of garden soil, 1 part of sand, 1 part of leaf mould or 1 part of well rotten farm yard manure.</p> <h3 style="text-align: justify;">Irrigation and Fertilizer</h3> <p style="text-align: justify;">Chrysanthemum needs frequent irrigations at regular intervals during August-October through flood irrigation. Overwatering should be avoided as this crop is very sensitive to water logging. 40 kg of N (160 kg CAN or 87 kg Urea) should be applied in two supplemental doses of 20 kg N each (80 kg CAN or 44 kg Urea) one and two months after transplanting of rooted cuttings.</p> <h3 style="text-align: justify;">Intercultural Operations</h3> <p style="text-align: justify;">Chrysanthemum requires three to four hand weeding to keep the crop free from weeds and to get quality flowers. Pinching is practiced in small-flowered spray type varieties and growing tips of the plants are removed. Pinching helps to produce more number of side shoots. The plants should be subjected to pinching when they attain the height of about 15 cm and all plants should be pinched at the same time to promote uniform growth. Normally pinching is done 4 weeks and 7 weeks after transplanting that leads to the emergence of side shoots and also increases the number of flowers on the plant. Disbudding is practiced in standard varieties to allow the development of a single terminal large sized flower bud by removing all side buds. Staking of chrysanthemum plants can be done with sticks or plastic nets to provide support. The net levels are first raised at 15 cm, second 30 cm and third 45 cm from ground level in field area. The standard varieties with large-sized flowers require staking and single stake with stick is enough. In spray varieties, 2-3 stake are required that are given in the periphery of the pot to give support to the outer growing branches which will give a globular appearance to the plant.</p> <h3 style="text-align: justify;">Harvesting and Yield</h3> <p style="text-align: justify;">For loose flower purpose, flowers are harvested when fully opened without taking any portion of their stalks in the cool hours of the day. Standard chrysanthemums are harvested fully open but before the central disc florets begin to elongate and spray chrysanthemums are harvested when 50% flowers show colour. The yield varies from 80,000-90,000 cut flower stems per acre, whereas for loose varieties, 15-80 q/acre flowers can be produced.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://pau.edu/content/ccil/pf/pp_flower.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ORNAMENTAL CROPS - Communication Centre PUNJAB AGRICULTURAL UNIVERSITY LUDHIANA</a></p>