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Plant Science Today (PST)

Research Articles

Vol. 12 No. sp4 (2025): Recent Advances in Agriculture by Young Minds - III

Integrated organic nutrient management enhances chrysanthemum production and soil health in the sub-Himalayan plains

DOI
https://doi.org/10.14719/pst.11343
Submitted
19 August 2025
Published
01-01-2026

Abstract

Chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum morifolium Ramat.) or autumn queen, a member of the Asteraceae family, is widely cultivated and ranks second to rose among cut and loose flowers in the global floriculture market. However, concerns regarding residual chemical fertilisers in cut flowers pose significant challenges for export, especially as international markets increasingly favour organically cultivated produce. The present study aimed to evaluate the influence of various organic nutrient sources on the yield and quality parameters of spray chrysanthemum. The experiment was conducted using a factorial randomised block design (FRBD) with two factors: chrysanthemum variety (two levels) and organic nutrient sources (thirteen levels), replicated three times. Among the treatments, T12 (vermicompost at 5 t/ha + Azotobacter at 2 g/plant + PSB at 2 g/plant) resulted in superior performance across varieties, significantly enhancing vegetative growth, floral characteristics and soil nutrient status. The V1 × T12 combination significantly enhanced vegetative growth, floral quality, phenological development and recorded the highest soil nitrogen (294.28 kg/ha), phosphorus (50.71 kg/ha) and potassium (273.26 kg/ha). In contrast, the control treatment (T1) consistently exhibited the lowest values across the measured parameters. Implementing this integrated organic nutrient management protocol offers a sustainable, cost-effective approach to producing export-quality flowers while improving soil health and reducing reliance on synthetic fertilisers in the sub-Himalayan plains.

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