GROWTH AND YIELD OF CAULIFLOWER AS INFLUENCED BY DIFFERENT LEVEL OF GIBBERELLIC ACID AND POTASSIUM

Abstract

An experiment was carried out at the Horticultural farm of Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Dhaka-1207 during the period from October 2018 to February 2019 to find out the effect of gibberellic acid (GA 3 ) and potassium (K) on growth and yield of cauliflower (variety ‘Snowball’). The experiment was laid out in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications. It consisted of two factors. Factor A: four levels of GA 3 (G 0 : 0 ppm GA 3 ii (control); G 1 : 95 ppm GA 3 : 115 ppm GA 3 and G 3 : 135 ppm GA 3 ) and factor B: three levels of potassium (K 0 : 0 kg K 2 O/ha (control); K 1 : 75 kg K 2 O/ha and K 2 : 100 kg K 2 O/ha). In case of gibberellic acid, the highest plant height (64.13 cm) at harvest, curd diameter (24.36 cm), marketable yield per hectare (34.39 t/ha) was recorded from G 1 and the lowest was recorded from G 0 . In case of potassium, the highest plant height (60.05 cm) at harvest, curd diameter (21.80 cm), marketable yield per hectare (31.42 t/ha) was recorded from K 2 and the lowest was recorded from K 0 . In case of combination of gibberellic acid and potassium, the highest plant height (66.73 cm) at harvest, curd diameter (25.73 cm), marketable yield per hectare (35.50 t/ha) was recorded from G 1 K 2 and the lowest was recorded from G 0 . The highest benefit cost ratio (1.89) was noted from the treatment combination of G 1

and the lowest (1.34) was obtained from G 0 K 0 . From economic point of view, it is apparent from the above results that the combination of G 1 K 2 was more profitable than rest of the combination.