WINTER ANNUAL FLOWERS UNDER AGROFORESTRY TREE SPECIES

An experiment was conducted during winter season of 2004-05 at Agroforestry Research Centre of G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar to study the effect of agroforestry tree specis (Dalbergia sissoo and Tectona grandis) and spacing on growth, development and seed production of important winter annual flowers (Babuna, Dimorphotheca, Tagetes and Paper flower). Different growth characters (Plant height, Number of leaves/plant and Plant spread) and Floral characters (Number of flower/plant, Flower size and Days taken to maturity) were found significantly higher under tree species shisham (Dalbergia sissoo). Among different flower species Babuna and Paper flower has given better results for different growth and floral characters. The higher values of growth characters were produced by wider spacing (60 cm ¿ 60 cm), while close spacing (60 cm ¿ 30 cm) produced higher value for floral characters in winter annual flowers. The highest seed yield (kg/ha) was produced by Babuna followed by Paper flower under Shisham with close spacing as compared to control and Teak