Chrysanthemum Area Under Cultivation Chrysanthemum is mainly grown in Madhupur and Deoghar districts (Bihar); Anand, Vadodara, Surat, Navsari and Valsad (Gujarat); Bangalore, Dharwad, Belgaum, Hosur and Malur (Karnataka); Indore, Ratlam and Ujjain (Madhya Pradesh); Ahmednagar and Pune (Maharashtra); Ajmer, Pushkar; Udaipur and Kota (Rajasthan) and Madurai, Chingleput and Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu)
Botanical Name : Chrysanthemum morifolium Family : Asteraceae Plant Discription : It is a partly woody erect perennial herb or sub shrub upto 1m in height with alternate thick leaves. The inflorescence consists of many flower heads. Each flower head has numerous florets - the disk florets and ray florets.
Centre of Origin : Northern hemisphere mainly europe and asia Pollination System : Cross pollinated Chromosome No. : 2n=36,45,47,51
Chrysanthemum Diseases Wilt (Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. chrysanthemi) : 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. Control : Since the disease is a soil borne it is difficult to control with chemicals alone. Drenching the soil with Dexon or Carbendazim is very effective. Before planting dipping the rooted cuttings in a solution of Thiram @1.5g/litre of water. Since the disease spreads mostly through cuttings, it is important to use disease free planting material. Disease can further be minimised by following strict sanitation; periodical monitoring; crop rotation and roughing of infected plants.
Rust (Puccinia crysanthemi) : Rust is a serious disease especially in the early spring. 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. Control : Early removal of infected leaves/plants helps to prevent the further spread of the disease. Spraying the plants with Karathane @0.025% or dusting with Wettable Sulphur @0.2% is effective in controlling the disease.
Septoria Leaf Spot (Sepotria chrysanthemella) : 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 rot completely. Control : These disease can be controlled by spraying Bavistin @0.05% six times at 15 days intervals from the end of July or spraying Benomyl (0.1%) followed by Captafol (0.2%) and Carbendazim (0.1%). Destruction of disease debris and avoiding excessive irrigation is recommended.
Stem Rot (Fusarium solani) : The disease is noticed in cuttings, stock plants and flowering plants. It is serious during rainy weather. The affected plants show different symptoms such as leaf chlorosis, necrosis, decay and discoloration of internal portion of the stem. When the flower buds are about to open, small dark streaks are seen at the base of the stem. Root decay is noticed only in advanced stages of infection. In many cases the infection is devoid of any external symptoms and roots also look healthy. In some cases stem and root rot are confined to one side of the stem, the other side remaining healthy.
Control : Cuttings should be taken from healthy plants. Following strict field sanitation, roughing of infected plants and crop rotation helps to minimize the disease incidence. Spraying with Bavistin (0.1%) or Bordeaux mixture (1%) and avoiding excessive moisture in beds help in checking the disease.
Powdery Mildew (Oidium chrysanthemi) : 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. Control : Disease can be effectively controlled with Sulphur fungicides or Captan (0.2%). Good ventilation and proper spacing for free circulation of air is recommended.
Chrysanthemum Harvesting The correct stage of harvesting depends upon the cultivar, marketing and purposes etc. The flowers are harvested 3 months from the date of planting at an interval of 4 days. For floral decoration and garlands, fully opened flowers are plucked with or without the peduncle. Flowers are packed loose in bamboo baskets or gunny bags and sent to retail markets for sale.
Harvesting of Cutflowers: Types of Chrysanthemum
Period of Harvest
Standard variety
When 40-50% of the bloom is fully open.
Dwarf variety
When 80-85% of the blooms has opened.
Spray variety
When 40-50% of the bloom has opened.
Single
When the maximum number of flowers open, but before the pollen shed from the outer row of the disc florets.
Anemone
Before the central cushion in the top most flowering fully developed.
Generally harvesting is done early in the morning. The stems are cut 20 cm from the ground and are collected in trays or buckets containing cold water (15-18째C) and a floral preservative (Silver nitrate 25 ppm). Alternately, the harvested stems are kept in 1000 ppm Silver nitrate, for 10 seconds-10 minutes followed by placing in deionized water to prevent the blockage of xylem by the microorganisms
Yield : The yield of flowers varies according to types of cultivars, growing region, plant density and other management practices. The average yield of loose flowers varies widely from 8-15 tonnes/ ha. In southern states, the crop remains in the field for about ten months if it is ratooned (six months for plant crop an four months for ratoon crop). Ratooning is seldom done now days. Improved varieties like CO.1 and CO.2 yields upto 1 t/ha in Tamil Nadu.
Chrysanthemum Intercultural Operations Weed Control : Weeding and hoeing are yield generally done manually as and when required, normally 8-10 times yearly. Crop suffers heavily if timely weeding is not given. Besides, control of weeds the soil is made loose porous to provide aeration.
Pinching : Pinching is one of the most important operations in chrysanthemum culture. Pinching refers to the removal of the growing tips of the plant to induce the growth of vegetative laterals. It reduces the plant height, promotes axillary branching, delays flowering and helps in breaking rosetting. Pinching is performed both in suckers and in cuttings. It is normally done with thumb and forefinger. Pinching is most essential for small flowered chrysanthemum. First pinching is done when the plants reach a height of 15-20 cm with 3-4 pairs of leaves. A second pinching may be necessary if the plants make straggly and lean growth. Two types of pinching are performed in chrysanthemum. In soft pinching the soft tip of the shoot along with 2-3 open leaves is removed while in hard pinching a longer portion upto hard shoot is removed. In case of standard chrysanthemum only single bloom on a branch is usually allowed to produce. The pinching is not done if only one central bloom is desired on the main branch. Single pinching is done, if two flowers are desired, whereas double pinching is done for four flowers. In spray chrysanthemum numerous small to medium sized flowers are produced, therefore, two pinchings are required to encourage lateral growth. As a general rule rooted cuttings are pinched 2 weeks after planting or approximately 100 days before full bloom.
Disbudding : This operation is mostly performed for large flowered and decorative type chrysanthemum. Disbudding method vary according to the type of chrysanthemum grown. Many of the varieties are disbud or standard types, in which the largest terminal bud is retained and all axillary buds are removed. Disbudding of spray varieties is very easy because in this case only the large apical bud is removed and the axillary buds are allowed to develop. There is no specific rule for disbudding of spray varieties; it varies with the type of spray produced. When growers want to develop three blooms per plant or one bloom per plant these operations are most essential. Disbudding operations is an important factor in the maintenance of high-quality product
De- suckering : During the vegetative growth phase, plants grow upwards. New suckers continue to develop from base of plants. For proper and vigorous growth of plants, suckers are removed from time to time.
Chrysanthemum Irrigation Chrysanthemum requires frequent and thorough irrigation. If rains are delayed irrigation is given twice a week in the first month and subsequently at weekly intervals.
Plant Growth Regulators : Crop growth regulation and flowering can be modified or controlled by use of growth regulators. Flower quality and yield can be improved by the use of regulators. Spraying GA3 (50ppm) at 30, 45 and 60 days after planting increases the flower yield.
Chrysanthemum Manuring & Fertilization Chrysanthemum is a heavy feeder and requires large amount of both Nitrogen and Potassium. Nitrogen is required at early stage and the plants need P throughout the growth period. As the buds appear, the proportion of K should be increased and N should be reduced. Recommend doses for various centers Centre Pune Ludhiana Kalyani
Recommended Dose kg/ha N P K 200 200 200 400 400 200 400 400 400 (Source: AICFIP Progress Report, 1991)
Chrysanthemum Pests Aphids (Macrosiphoniella sanborni) : Greenish-black nymphs and chocolate brown adults suck the cell sap from growing shoots and lower surface of leaves. Damage by aphid's results in loss of vigour, yellowing and premature leaf fall and stunted growth of attacked plants. Honey dew secreted by aphids favours development of sooty mould. The pest also acts as a vector of viral diseases. Control : Spraying of Monocrotophos @0.05% or Phosphamidon @0.02% at 15-20 days interval controls aphid population effectively. Grubs and adults of Coccinellid beetles prey upon the aphids and effectively wipe out their population.
Thrips (Frankliniella sp.) : Slender, white coloured nymphs and black adults feed on tender leaves causing silvering, mottling and distortion of leaves. Damaged flowers look discoloured, withered and dried due to scorching. Severe infestation adversely affects quality and quantity of flower production. Control : Spraying with Monocrotophos (0.04%) twice or thrice at 15 days interval controls thrip population. Drenching the soil with good insecticide also helps in reducing the population.
Leaf Folder (Hedylepta indicata) : It occasionally attains a status of serious pest on chrysanthemum. Pale-white coloured eggs a laid singly or in small groups on lower side of leaves. Green coloured larvae with brown head fold leaves together and feed on chlorophyll. The affected leaves get skeletonized and dry. The larvae also damage flowers. Control : Cutting and burning infested plant parts reduces pest infestation. Two or three sprays of Methyl Parathion or Quinalphos @0.05% gives effective control of leaf folders.
Bud Borer (Helicoverpa armigera): Female adult deposits round, cream coloured eggs singly on bracts and petals of buds. Larvae feed on growing flowers resulting in considerable flower loss. Control: Collection and destruction of damaged buds and flowers reduces further damage. Setting of light traps helps to control adult population by attracting them. Sprays of Endosulfan (0.07%) or Methyl Parathion (0.05%) taken up at the appearance of eggs on buds and tender foliage controls borer damage.
Hairy Caterpillar (Spilosoma obliqua) : Female moth lays eggs in clusters on lower side of leaves. Black coloured matured larvae feed voraciously on leaves and buds and cause severe defoliation. Control : Collection and destruction of egg masses and leaves infested with early larval instars of hairy caterpillar reduces pest build up. Deep ploughing in summer exposes pupae to predators.
Termites (Microtermes obesi) : Termites mainly feed on roots. In case of severe infestations they spread to stem portion of the bark. Attack by the pest becomes severe under dry soil conditions. Damaged plants wilt, dry and finally die if infestation is very high. Control : Deep ploughing destroys the termite colonies. Proper irrigation and avoiding dry soil conditions prevents pest build-up. Drenching the soil with Chlorpyriphos @0.05% or Endosulphan @0.1% before planting protects plants from termite attack.
Lesion Nematode (Pratylenchus coffeae) : The nematode causes heavy rot damage, which subsequently leads to poor growth of chrysanthemum. The symptoms are in the form of stunting of plants with premature yellowing and drying of leaves, reduced flower size and dark lesions on the roots. Control : Application of neem cake @ 1ton/ha or Carbofuran @ 2kg/ha reduces the nematode population.
Bud and Leaf Nematode (Aphelenchoides ritzemabosi) : The nematode causes considerable damage to the foliage of chrysanthemum. Interveinal discolouration of leaves and their death is the characteristic symptom. Control : Hot water treatment of suckers at 46째C for 5 minutes and spraying 0.02% Thionazin or 0.01% Methyl Parathion on aerial parts is recommended.
Chrysanthemum Post Harvest Technology Grading : Chrysanthemums are graded based on the stem length, flower appearance, number of flowers, stem straightness, colour and freshness of flowers. Standard chrysanthemum are graded into Blue, Red, Green and Yellow, whereas spray types are graded into Gold, Silver and Bronze based on the quality parameters. In Dutch market, spray chrysanthemums are graded into extra grade and shorter grade. The lower leaves are stripped off upto 15-20 cm and bundled in units of 5 stems and secured with a rubber band. Export Standards for Chrysanthemum Parameters
Standard
Spray
Dwarf
Stem length
88-100cm.
77-88cm.
25-38cm.
Weight
30g/stem of 90cm.
30g/stem of 85cm.
30g/stem of 30cm.
No. of flowers
Only 1flower with 5 buds.
10 flowers.
10-12 flowers.
Diameter
60-80mm.
35mm for half bloom.
30mm.
45m m for full bloom.
Packaging : Most of the Standard chrysanthemums are placed in sleeves and packed in display boxes measuring 91 x 43 x 15cm. They are placed in the boxes according to the grades. For bulk packing of the spray chrysanthemums, 10, 15 or 20 stems are placed in sleeves according to the grades. Six sleeves, three at each end, are generally packed in each box, measuring 80 x 50 x 23cm.
Cold Storage : The stems in the buckets (after grading) are given a cut using sharp blade and precooled at 1째C minimum of 2 hours before packing. Chrysanthemum can be stored for 3-6 weeks period at 0-3째C.
Chrysanthemum Planting The field is thoroughly ploughed before planting. After ploughing of F.Y.M. @40 tones per hectare is applied at the time of field preparation. Planting on ridges is recommended to avoid excessive moisture during the rainy season. Rooted cuttings are planted at a spacing of 30x30cm in the month of July.
Chrysanthemum Propagation Chrysanthemum is propagated vegetatively either through root suckers or terminal cuttings.
Suckers : Suckers arise from the underground stem and these are separated and planted in prepared nursery beds during January for stock plants. Regular pinching is performed in these plants for vigorous and profuse branching. Some of these stock plants are used for preparation of cuttings. The first pinching is performed in April, followed by monthly pinching upto June. After 3rd pinching in June, cuttings are taken from these mother plants.
Terminal Cuttings : Cuttings of 5-7 cm in length are taken form healthy stock plants in June. The cuttings are prepared by removing basal leaves and reducing the leaf area of remaining leaves to half. The basal portion (less than half inch) of cuttings are dipped rooting hormone (1000 ppm solution of IBA.) for better rooting. Sometimes the lower portion of cuttings is treated with some copper fungicide to avoid fungal growth. These rooted cuttings are ready for planting in the field.
Chrysanthemum Soil & Climate Soil : The ideal soil for chrysanthemum growing is a well-drained sandy loam of good texture and aeration. The soil should be neutral or slightly acidic with pH 6.5 to 7.0 having high organic content. Very light sandy soils are not recommended owing to their poor moisture holding properties.
Climate : Light : Light is one of the most important climatic factors influencing the growth and flowering. The flowers of chrysanthemum are very much influenced by the quantum and quality of light; most of the cultivars require shorter days for flower bud initiation and development. Under long day condition, chrysanthemum tends to remain vegetative. As it is a short day plant, it naturally flowers in autumn and winter.
Temperature : Based on the temperature requirements chrysanthemum cultivars are classified into 3 groups 1. Thermozero cultivars: Varieties, which flower at any temperature between 10-27°C, but most constantly 16°C night temperature. 2. Thermopositive cultivars: A minimum of 16°C required for initiation and at 27° C there will be rapid initiation but delayed flowering. 3. Thermonegative cultivars: Bud initiation occur at low or high temperature between 10°C and 27°C but continuous high temperature delay bud development.
Altitude : It can be successfully grown upto an altitude of 1200 m elevation.
Relative Humidity : A relative humidity of 70-90% is optimum for growing chrysanthemum.
Chrysanthemum Varieties Ajina Purple : This variety is developed by NBRI, Lucknow. It is a regular incurve type of chrysanthemum with very large flowers. Ray florets of this variety are narrow to broad. Florets are very smoothly incurved in a pattern to form a perfect ball. Disc is not visible.
Snowball : This variety is developed by NBRI, Lucknow. It is a regular incurve type of chrysanthemum with very large flowers. Ray florets of this variety are narrow to broad. Florets are very smoothly incurved in a pattern to form a perfect ball. Disc is not visible.
Potomac : This variety is developed by NBRI, Lucknow. It is a single large flowered type of variety. Ray florets of this variety are long, elongated and straplike. Number of whorl of florets restricted upto four. The disc is conspicuously visible.
M-24 : This variety is developed by NBRI, Lucknow. It is a large flowering variety of spoon type. Ray florets of this variety are tubular with spatula like open tips. The size of open portion varies. Disc visible.
Agnishikha : This variety is developed by NBRI, Lucknow. It is a gamma ray induced new mutant. It is a small flowering variety of decorative type producing erythrite red flowers. Ray florets are strap-like. Number of whorls of ray florets is more than five. Disc is not visible due to developed ray florets.
Batik : This variety is developed by NBRI, Lucknow. It is a gamma ray induced new mutant, which produces unique colour combination of yellow stripes on red background.
Harvest Home : This variety is developed by NBRI, Lucknow. It is a small flowered variety of stellate type. Ray florets of this variety are strap-like but both the side of ray florets are reflexed downward. Florets may not be twisted. Disc flat with short florets.
Gypsy Queen : This variety is developed by NBRI, Lucknow. It is a large flowering variety of sipder type. The ray florets are tubular and elongated with tips open or closed. Tips may be open or closed but in either case they are coiled or hooked. The rays may either fall or spread.
Navneet Yellow : This variety is developed by NBRI, Lucknow. It is a gamma ray induced new mutant, which produces yellow flower heads.
Gamit : This variety is developed by NBRI, Lucknow. It is a large flowering variety of reflexed type. Ray florets of this variety are narrow to broad. Ray florets bent backward and downward. Inner florets remain incurved at the early stage concealing the disc florets of the bloom. Outer florets turn outward away from the central tuft. Blooms look globular but may be somewhat flattened. Average bloom size 15-20 cm.
Nanako : This variety is developed by NBRI, Lucknow. It is a small flowered variety of pompon type. Ray florets of this variety are short, broad and very systematically and uniformly arranged to give bloom a contact hemispherical shape. Width and breath almost equal. Ray give florets may be incurved or reflexed. Disc normally covered or inconspicuously open.
Gauri : This variety is developed by NBRI, Lucknow. It is small flowered variety producing whit flowers with yellows heads in the centre. A gamma ray induced new mutant of this variety has also been developed which produces yellow colour flowers.
Rosa : This variety is developed by NBRI, Lucknow. It is a small flowering variety of anemone type. Disc florets of the flowers are well developed and prominent. Ray florets may be flat, twisted and quilled.
Shabnam : This variety is developed by NBRI, Lucknow. It is a small flowering variety of decorative type. The disc is not visible due to developed ray florets. Ray florets regular or irregularly reflexed.
Taruni : This variety is developed by NBRI, Lucknow. It is a large flowered variety of reflex incurve. Ray florets of the flowers are narrow to broad. Ray florets bent backward and downward. Inner florets remain incurved at the early stage concealing the disc florets of the bloom. Outer florets turn outward away from the central tuft. Blooms look globular but may be somewhat flattened. Average bloom size 15-20 cm.
Pournima : This variety is developed by NBRI, Lucknow. It is a large flower pompon type producing white flowers. Ray florets of the flowers are short, broad and very systematically and uniformly arranged to give bloom a contact hemispherical shape. Width and breath almost equal. Ray give florets may be incurved or reflexed. Disc normally covered or inconspicuously open.