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Chrysanthemum
Botanical Name – Dendranthema grandiflora Tzeuleu
Family -Asteraceae

Importance

  • It is an important flower crop grown all over the world. It gives more yields when grown in greenhouse.
  • It belongs to “Compositae” family. In India, the commercial cultivation of Chrysanthemum is done because of its good demand.
  • Flowers are mainly used for as cut flowers for party arrangements, religious offerings and garland making.
  • It is an herbaceous perennial plant which attains the height of 50-150cm.
  • Chrysanthemum farming is commercially done in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Punjab and Maharashtra.

Varieties

1)Birbal Sahni:

  • The variety gets mature in 121 days.
  • The plant is 65cm tall.
  • The plant has white color flowers which grow in bunch and having 4-8cm diameter.
  • It gives an average yield of 13qtl/acre.

2)Baggi:

  • The variety gets mature in 137 days.
  • The plant is 64cm tall.
  • The plant has white color flowers which grow in bunches and having 4-8cm diameter.
  • It gives an average yield of 60qtl/acre.

3) Ratlaam Selection: 

  • The variety gets ready in 138 days.
  • The plant is 51cm tall.
  • The plant has yellowish white color flowers which are 8.1cm in diameter.
  • It gives an average yield of 72qtl/acre.

4)Punjab Gold:

  • Early maturing variety.
  • The variety gets ready in 76 days.
  • The plant is 23cm tall.
  • The plant has red color flower buds which becomes attractive yellow in color when matures.
  • The flowers are 5-30cm in diameter.
  • The variety is suitable for growing in pots.

5) Anmol:

  • Late maturing variety.
  • The variety gets ready in 114 days.
  • The plant is 50cm tall.
  • The plant has yellow color flowers which grow in bunches and having 40cm diameter.
  • It gives an average yield of 13qtl/acre.
  • Single plant of this variety gives bears approximately 208 flowers.
     
    6)Royal Purple:
     
  • Late maturing variety.
  • The variety gets ready in 141 days.
  • The plant is 45cm tall.
  • The plant has purple-pink color flowers which grow in bunches and having 5.3cm diameter.
  • Single plant of this variety gives bears approximately 201 flowers.
  • This variety is also suitable for pot planting.
     
    7)Yellow delight:
     
  • Early maturing variety.
  • The variety gets ready in 88 days.
  • The plant is 66cm tall having attractive yellow color flowers.
  • The flowers are 5.2cm in diameter.
  • Single plant of this variety gives bears approximately 103 flowers.

8) Garden Beauty: 

  • Medium maturing variety which gets mature in 132 days.
  • The plant is 70 cm tall and flowers have 10 cm diameter which is uniform in color.
  • It gives 73 flowers/plant.
  • The flowering starts within 23 days of sowing. 

9)Winter Queen: 

  • Medium maturing variety which gets mature in 128 days.
  • The plant is 75 cm tall and flowers have 90 cm diameter which is uniform in color.
  • It gives 125 flowers/plant.
  • The flowering starts within 23 days of sowing.

    10)Atom Joy:
  • Early maturing variety which gets mature in 101 days.
  • The plant is 58cm tall.
  • The variety contains pink color flowers which are 6.6cm in diameter.
  • It gives 283flowers/plant.
  • The flowering starts within 36 days of sowing.

    11)Kelvin Mandrin:
     
  • Dwarf flower variety which gives approximately 102 flowers.
  • It has copper color flowers which are 4.5cm in diameter.
  • The plant is 48cm tall.
  • The variety starts flowering after 40 days.

12) Kelvin tattoo: 

  • Dwarf flower variety which gives approximately 101 flowers.
  • It has cadmium yellow color flowers which are red color from medium having diameter of 3.37cm.
  • The plant is 41cm tall.
  • The variety starts flowering after 31 days.

13)Reagan White:

  • The variety starts flowering after 103 days.
  • The plant is 45cm tall.
  • It has white color flowers having diameter of 8.43cm.
  • It gives 54flowers/plant.

    14) Reagan Emperor:
     
  • Single Korean variety which mature in 103 days.
  • The plant is 78 cm tall and pink color flowers which has 8.15 cm diameter.
  • It gives 25 flowers/plant.
  • It matures in 30 days.

15)Yellow Charm: 

  • Belongs to Cinerarias category.
  • The variety has 15cm plant height.
  • It gives 485 flowers/ plant.
  • It has shining yellow color flowers having 3.5cm in diameter.
  • This variety doesn’t require training and pruning and doesn’t require support.
  • It matures in 36 days.

    16)Ajay:
     
  • Medium flower size variety which gets ready in 116 days.
  • The plant has 55cm height and 79flowers per plant.
  • It has shining yellow color flowers having 8.18cm diameter.
  • The variety starts flowering after 37 days.

17) Mother Teresa: 

  • Medium size variety of Enimon category which starts flowering in 102 days.
  • It has 38 cm plant height which gives 150 flowers per plant.
  • It has white color flowers which are cream or yellow in color from middle.
  • The flowers have diameter of 5.5cm.
  • It is a late maturing variety which starts blooming in December-January month.
  • This variety doesn’t require training and pruning and doesn’t require support.

Other varieties: Kirti, Arka Swarna, Shanti, Y2K, Arka Ganga, Appu, Sadbhavana, Bindiya, MDU 1 (yellow colored flowers), Combaitore varieties such as CO 1 (yellow colored varieties) and CO 2 (purple colored flowers), Indira and Red Gold, Ravi Kiran, Akash, Yellow Start, Indira, Rakhee and Chandrakand are some more varieties which are used. 

 
Soil and Climate

Soil  – 

  • Red loamy soil having well drainage system is good for Chrysanthemum farming.
  • Soil having pH ranging from 6-7 is good for cultivation.

Climate – 

  • The rate of vegetative growth and flowering are also affected by temperature.
  • The optimum temperature of 15.6 0C is required.
  • The relative humidity of 70 to 90% is suitable for the plants.

Propagation and planting

  • Propagation of chrysanthemum is mainly done through root suckers and terminal stem cutting method.
  • In terminal cutting method, cutting of healthy plant is done in the 4-5cm above in the month of middle-April-end-June.
  • After cutting roots are treated with [email protected]% or [email protected]% and then are used for planting.
  • In suckers, stem is cut just above the ground.
  • This will result in the sucker development.
  • The suckers are then separated from mother plant and then planted to prepared beds.

 
Nutrition

  • Recommended dose – 25 t FYM and 125:120: 25 kg NPK/ha. 
  • Basal application – half of N + entire P and K; top dressing – half of N applied 30 days after planting.

Land Preparation

  • Well prepared land is required for Chrysanthemum farming.
  • To bring the soil to fine tilth, 2-3 ploughings are required followed by harrowing.
  • At the time of last ploughing, add FYM @8-10 tonnes/acre.

Seed

Seed rate:
Use planting density of 45,000plants/acre.

Seed treatment:
Cuttings are treated with [email protected]% or [email protected]% to protect seedlings from soil borne or damping off disease.

Sowing

Time of sowing:
Suckers are planted in the month of February-March and terminal cuttings are planted in the month of June-July.

Spacing:
Use row to row and plant to plant spacing of 30cm X 30cm.

Sowing depth:
In polythene bags depth should be 1-2 cm.

Method of sowing:
Propagation method is used.

Fertilizer

Fertilizer Requirement (kg/acre):

UREASSPMOP
160500133

 

Nutrient Requirement (kg/acre):

NITROGENPHOSPHORUSPOTASH
738080

 

Add fertilizer dose of Urea@160kg/acre, SSP@500kg/acre and MOP@133kg/acre at the time of last ploughing. 
 

Pinching

Done 4 weeks after planting to induce lateral branches

Pinching chrysanthemum (Hobby Farms) - #chrysanthemum #farms #hobby # ...

Desukering

Remove the side suckers periodically.

How to grow chrysanthemums from cutting / easy way 100% root - YouTube

Micronutrients
Foliar spray of ZnSO4 0.25% + MgSO4 0.5%.
Biofertilizers

  • Soil application of 2 kg each of Azospirillum and Phosphobacteria per ha at the time ofplanting.
  • It is to be mixed with 100 kg of FYM and applied.

Growth regulators

Spray GA3 @ 50 ppm on 30, 45 and 60 days after planting.

Weed Control

  • 2-3 hand weedings are required to keep the field weed free and for the proper growth of plant.
  • First weeding is done after 4 weeks of planting.

Irrigation

  • Frequency of irrigation will depend upon growth stage, weather and soil conditions.
  • Chrysanthemum requires proper drainage system in soil.
  • Mainly irrigation is given twice a week in first month and then subsequent irrigations are given at weekly intervals.

Nutritional deficiency

 

1.Phosphorus

Phosphorus

Deficiency Symptoms  

  • Deficiency progresses, growth of main stem slows down & finally stops. 
  • New leaves become dark green in colour & are reduced in size.
  • Lower leaves sometimes develop an orange-green colour. 
  • Margin of older leaves turns to brown colour (marginal browning).
  • Finally resulted in premature death of affected leaves. 
  • Flowering is delayed with reduction in size & number of leaves.

Correction Measure

  • Feeding with 0.30-0.40 monoammonium phosphate / litre of water, 5 times was recommended. 
  • Application of 30-60g super phosphate / m2 was also very effective to control the deficiency.

2.Potassium

Potassium

Deficiency Symptoms
  • Leaf margins turns brown colour & reduction of leaf size are the characteristics symptoms.
  • Flowering is delayed & keeping quality gets impaired.
  • Reduction in flower number and size. 
  • Delay in flowering.
  • Abscission of lower leaves.
Correction Measure
  • 5 g of potassium chloride / lit of water at 10 days intervals. 
  • Feeding with K2SO4 @ 1.25 g/lit (5 application) corrects the deficiency.

3.Calcium

Calcium

Deficiency Symptoms
  • Complete cessation of top growth death of roots, which become dark & adhere together. 
  • Yellowing of leaves & shortening of internodes become very marked.  Upper leaves form a rosette. 
  • Buds of growing points die. 
  • Lower leaves, which remain dark green, become stiff & brittle.  Opening of flowers will delay.
Correction Measure

CaCl2 @ 5 g/lit or CaNO3 5g/lit as foliar spray at 10 days intervals.

4.Iron

Iron

Deficiency Symptoms
  • Interveinal yellowing of leaves, reduction in size and delayed flowering with pale petal colour are the symptoms of iron deficiency. 
  • The veins are yellow, and chocolate-colored spots appear on the leaves. 
  • In case of severe iron deficiency, the margins of the leaves become necrotic.
Correction Measure

Foliar spray of [email protected]%

5.Boron

Boron

Deficiency Symptoms
  • Peripheral flowers losing, turgidity, and also developing necrosis. Results in brittle & curled leaves with pale green tips curling upwards. 
  • Petals become quilled or will not open regularly.
  • Branching of stem without flowering. 
  • Also delay in flowering. 
Correction Measure
  • Borax 3g/lit as foliar spray during flowering. 
  • Borox 0.02 g/lit for 3-4 weeks alternately with irrigation corrects the deficiency.

6.Manganese

Manganese

Deficiency Symptoms
  • General chlorosis and small necrotic spots near leaf edges and – petiole are the characteristics symptoms. 
  • Upper leaves are reduced in size.
Correction Measure

Foliar application of manganous sulphate at 0.6 g/l.

 
 
 

 

Plant Protection

1.Chrysanthemum aphid: Macrosiphoniella sanborni


Symptoms of damage

  • Nymphs and adults suck the sap from under surface of leaves and terminal shoots.
  • Stunted growth of the plant
  • Curling of leaf
  • Withering of flowers.

Management

  • Aqueous spray application of Vercillium lecanii (Vertilec) @ 15 g/lit (108 CFU/g)
  • Application (ultra low volume) of the entomogenous fungus V.lecanii
  • Neem formulations can be used in rotation with regular insecticides
  • Spray any following insecticides malathion 50 EC @ 1 ml/l of water

2.Thrips: Microcephalothrips abdominalis

Symptoms of damage

  • Infest the flower heads.
  • Lacerating the sepals and petals causing abrasions
  • Heavy infestation – damage to corolla, stamens
  • leading to premature flower drop.
  • It transmits the tomato spotted wilt virus, necrotic spot virus to many floricultural crops. 

Management

  • Grow resistant varieties like
  • Chandrika, Bangalore Local Yellow Double, M-7, Pankaj and Yellow Star.
  • Yellow or blue sticky traps can be used for mass trapping of thrips.
  • Blue traps – more effective for mass trapping than yellow traps.
  • Spray dimethoate 30 EC @ 1 ml/litre or fenitrothion 50 EC @ 1.0 ml/litre malathion 50 EC @ 2 ml/litre
  • Application of spinosad very effective against thrips .

3.Flower feeder: Helicoverpa armigera   


Symptoms of damage   

  • Caterpillars feed on buds and flowers.

Management

  • Field sanitation
  • Collect and destroy damaged buds and flowers
  • Set up pheromone traps with Helilure at 15/ha
  • Spray nuclear polyhedrosis virus (Ha NPV) at 500 LE or 1.5*1012 POBs/ha
  • Encourage the activity of parasitoids campoletis and chelonus
  • Spray carbaryl 50 WP 2g/lit.

Disease

1.Wilt: Fusarium oxysporum 

Symptoms

  • Initial symptoms are in the form of yellowing and browning of leaves.
  • Affected leaves die from the base of the plant upward. Infected plants are stunted and often fail to produce flower.
  • Wilting may cause rotting of root or the base of the stem.

Management

  • Before planting dipping the rooted cuttings in a solution of Pseudomonas fluorescens @2g/litre of water.
  • Since the disease spreads mostly through cuttings, it is important to use disease free planting material.
  • Disease can further be minimized by following strict sanitation; periodical monitoring; crop rotation and roguing of infected plants.

2.Rust: Puccinia chrysanthemi

Symptoms

  • The disease symptoms are in the form of brown blister-like swellings, which appear on the undersides of leaves.
  • These burst open releasing masses of brown, powdery spores.
  • Severely infected plants become very weak and fail to bloom properly.

Management

  • Early removal of infected leaves/plants helps to prevent the further spread of the disease.

3.Septoria Leaf Spot: Sepotria chrysanthemella

Symptoms

  • Leaf spots occur during cool-wet periods of the rainy season.
  • Since the pathogens are spread through rain splashes the lowermost leaves get infected first.
  • Serious infection may result in premature withering of the leaves; the dead leaves hang to the stem for some time.
  • When flowering starts the infection occurs on flower buds, which rots completely.

Management

  • Destruction of disease debris and avoiding excessive irrigation is recommended.

4.Powdery Mildew: Oidium chrysanthemi

Symptoms

  • Infection is more severe in older plants under humid conditions.
  • The growth of the fungus on the leaves appears as powdery coating
  • Infected leaves turn yellow and dry out.
  • Infected plants remains stunted and fail to flower.

Management

  • Good ventilation and proper spacing for free circulation of air is recommended

 

Crop Duration

6 – 8 months for main crop and 4 months for ratoon crop.

Harvest

  • Flowering mainly starts after 5-6 months of planting.
  • Mainly harvesting of flowers is done in October-November month.
  • Harvesting is usually done of fully opened flowers in the morning time.
  • Harvested flowers are then packed in bamboo baskets for transportation and sale purpose.
  • It gives an average yield of 15-50qtl flowers/acre.   

Yield

  • 20 t/ha from main crop
  • 10 t/ha from ratoon crop.