Optimal nutrient management is critical for optimizing flowering, yield, quality and improving soil health. A key approach for making chrysanthemum crop cultivation profitable is balanced fertigation at the right time. This is possible by fertigation through drip. The present study was designed in 2019–2021 at a model floriculture center, Pantnagar, to investigate the response of split application of NPK through drip fertigation on flowering attributes, yield, biochemical activity and soil nutrient status of chrysanthemum. Plants received application of NPK with five treatment combinations: T1-NPK @ 100:150:100 kg/ha/year, T2-NPK @ 100:150:100 kg/ha/year, T3-NPK @ 100:150:100 kg/ha/year, T4-NPK @ 75:112.5:75 kg/ha/year and T5-NPK @ 75:112.5:75 kg/ha/year at vegetative, bud and flowering stages. The results reveal that the plants treated with treatment T3 (NPK @ 100:150:100 kg/ha/year) exhibited maximum increases in floral bud diameter (31.45%), number of inflorescences per branch (24.44%), diameter of inflorescence (15.32–28.44%), weight of inflorescence (24.30%), stem diameter, inflorescence stem length, number of inflorescences per plant (6.16%), number of inflorescences per hectare (53.46%), chlorophyll a content, chlorophyll b content, total chlorophyll content (40.20%), carotene content of inflorescence (69.56%), organic carbon (1.22-fold), available nitrogen content (7.46%), available phosphorus and available potassium (1.14-fold) compared to the control. Conclusively, the results suggest that split application of NPK through drip fertigation may improve the inflorescence attributes, yield, biochemical activity and soil nutrient status of chrysanthemum.

The Japanese plum (Prunus salicina Lindl.) is a fruit tree globally cultivated in temperate regions of the world. Its floral biology and yield are affected by several factors, with issues related to self- and cross- (in) compatibility among varieties being emblematic of the whole Rosaceae family. The aim of this work was to elucidate the fruit set, dynamics of pollen tube growth in pistil, and yield and other fruiting attributes, in ‘Satluj Purple’ and ‘Kala Amritsari’, probably the most popular subtropical Japanese plum varieties in northern regions of India. Specifically, we examined the response of six different pollination variants, namely to self-pollination, open-pollination with the two cultivars located in adjacent rows, open-pollination with the two cultivars located in distant rows, manual cross-pollination, supplementary pollination, and floral bouquet. During the two years of the investigation, both plum cultivars showed good in vitro pollen germination (on average, above 50%) at different sucrose concentrations, with the highest values for the ‘Satluj Purple’ and for the 15% concentration. In vivo, the analysis of the pollen growth in the various sections of the style indicated the best performance when pistils of ‘Satluj Purple’ were pollinated by pollen grains of cv. ‘Kala Amritsari’. Cross-pollination also registered faster growth of pollen tube in pistil with the lowest number of incompatible pollen tubes compared to open- and self-pollination. From the productive point of view, cross-pollination showed the most pronounced results among the different pollination variants, with the highest initial fruit set (36.6%) and yield (28.0 kg/tree), and the shorter fruit development in ‘Satluj Purple’ (fruit set and yield in self-pollinated ‘Satluj Purple’ trees were 3.3% and 2.0 kg/tree, respectively). Conversely, the use of ‘Satluj Purple’ pollen for ‘Kala Amritsari’ showed poor results. Finally, in our study, ‘Kala Amritsari’ showed self-compatibility. We conclude that the main cause of poor fruit set in ‘Satluj Purple’ is self-incompatibility. The relevant genotypic-specific effects revealed by the analysis of the various pollination treatments also highlighted the importance of interplanting to increase fruit set and yield for subtropical Japanese plum varieties.

Background: Garden pea is one of the most important legume crop which require proper crop management practices. Crop regulation is an important practices which enhancing the productivity of garden pea with higher economic return. This can be done by adopting proper application of PGRs. Therefore, the present study was designed to assess the effect of PGRs on growth and yield of garden pea. Methods: The present study was laid out on garden pea (Pisum sativum subsp. hortense) cv. Azad Pea-3 in a randomized block design with three replications and ten treatments comprising different levels NAA, GA3 and Salicylic acid at various stages. The data on growth and yield were recorded and analyzed statistically applying the analysis of variance technique. Result: Results revealed that the plants treated with 120 ppm gibberellic acid showed 45.39% 38.55%, 40.60% and 32.84% increment in plant height, length of pod, width of pod and number of seeds per pod and taken lowest number of days to 50% flowering over control, respectively. The use of 40 ppm NAA exhibited maximal enhancement in number of pods per plant (57.43-68.02%), seed weight per pod and Pod yield per hectare (50.62-60.26%) over remaining treatments. Conclusively, the results suggest that foliar application of PGRs favors the growth and yield of garden pea.

The present study was carried out during winter (rabi) seasons of 2020–21 and 2021–22 at Sri Karan Narendra College of Agriculture, Jobner, Jaipur, Rajasthan to evaluate the impact of nitrogen management (organic and inorganic sources), biofertilizer and foliar spraying of nano-urea on yield, quality and storage attributes of garlic (Allium sativum L.). The experiment consisted of 3 levels of organic and inorganic fertilization, 2 levels of bio-fertilizers in main plot, and 4 levels of nano-urea arranged in split plot design (SPD) in sub plot. The results showed that yield, quality and storage attributes of garlic, viz. number of cloves/bulb (16.46%), clove length and girth, average weight of clove (1.56 gm), nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium content in bulb (1.10, 0.31 and 0.51%), physiological loss in weight, shelf-life of bulbs and rooting percentage of bulbs were significantly enhanced by 100% recommended dose of nitrogen through inorganic fertilizers and bio-fertilizer in main plot. In sub plot, the foliar spray of nano-urea @75 ml/ha recorded highest number of cloves per bulb (16.26%), clove length and girth (2.86 and 1.07 cm), average weight of clove (1.55 gm), nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium content in bulb (1.09, 0.31 and 0.51%), shelf-life of bulbs and rooting percentage of bulbs. Therefore, this study concluded that the nitrogen management and nano-urea in garlic crop gives better yield, quality and storage attributes, and can be opted in semi-arid climatic conditions.

To overcome the limitations of soil fertility and provide high crop output, soil fertility management, including the sensible use of mixes of organic and inorganic fertilizers, is a realistic approach. The strategy of integrated nutrient usage was used since there was a decrease in soil characteristics and crop productivity as a result of the overuse of chemical fertilizers. The present study was designed in 2019–2020 and 2020–2021 at the high-tech unit, Department of Horticulture, Udaipur to investigate the integrated use of FYM and inorganic fertilizers along with silicon on the development and output parameters of cauliflower (Brassica oleracea var. botrytis L.). The field experiment was carried out with fourteen treatments as a soil application under randomized block design. The results revealed that treatment T₁₄ (50% recommended dose of nitrogen by FYM + 50% recommended dose of fertilizers + 100 kg Silicon/ha) showed maximum plant height at harvest (65.73 cm), number of leaves per plant (24.27), leaf area index (11.83), chlorophyll content at 50 days after transplanting (1.99 mg/g), stalk length (8.23 cm) and stem girth (7.41 cm), minimum number of days to curd initiation after transplanting (66.37), minimum number of days required for marketable curd maturity after transplanting (89.17), maximum plant weight (1154.74 g), diameter of curd (15.75 cm), curd yield (277.53 q/ha) and dry weight of curd (91.41 g) as compared to control. In the end, the results showed that the growth and yield of cauliflower were better when silicon, manure, and chemical fertilizers were used together.