PJB-2018-631
Improvement of Zinnia flower (Zinnia elegans) through evaluating of various pinching methods
Lesen Ullah
Abstract
A field trial was carried out to investigate the response of different Zinnia cultivars to various pinching methods at the Horticultural Research Farm, Department of Horticulture, The University of Agriculture Peshawar during 2014. The experiment was laid out in an RCB design with two factorial arrangements in three replicates. Control, single pinching and double pinching with cultivars Sun Gold, Master Elite, Magellan Orange and Dreamland Red were performed. The results illustrate that both pinching methods and cultivars significantly affected all the parameters except the plant height. Maximum days to flowering (64.83), number of branches (20), number of flowers plant-1 (16.11), fresh flower weight (14.03 g), flower diameter (13.86 cm), and stem girth (15 mm) were noticed in plants subjected to double pinching, while minimum were noticed in control. Whereas, lowest plant height (58.42 cm) was documented in plants treated with double pinching. Among cultivars, maximum plant height (75.11 cm), number of branches (20.89), number of flower plant-1 (16.45) and flower diameter (12.22 cm), were observed in cultivar Sun Gold, while maximum fresh flower weight (13.29 g) and stem girth (15.56 mm) were noticed in cultivar Magellan Orange. Maximum days to flowering (61.00) were noted for cultivar Master Elite. Smallest plant height (55.56 cm), number of branches (14.00), number of flower plant-1 (11.28), fresh flower weight (10.08 g), flower diameter (10.36 cm), and stem girth (9.56 mm) were recorded for cultivar Master Elite, as minimum days to flowering (54.56) was counted in Magellan Orange. The interaction among pinching methods and cultivars were found non significant. From the findings of this research, it may be concluded that cultivar Sun Gold in combination with double pinch could enhance the production of Zinnia flowers.
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