POTASSIUM MANAGEMENT OF GERBERA

The experiment was undertaken to study the effect of different sources and levels of potassium fertilizers on growth, yield and quality of gerbera, under polyhouse conditions at College of Agriculture, Pune during 2005-06. There were three sources of potassium viz., Muriate of potash, sulphate of potash and nitrate of potash and four levels of potassium i e, 75%, 100% 125% and 150% K of recommended dose by using factorial completely randomized block design with three replications under controlled conditions. The leachate analysis at 240 days indicated that due to application of murate of potash there was increase in chlorine content in leachate, which in turn increased electrical conductivity of leachate, which was responsible for reduction in yield of gerbera flowers. The leachate studies indicated that sulphate of potash was proper source of potassium for gerbera, while muriate of potash showed adverse effects on growth, yield and quality at later stage i.e., after 210 days of planting that might be due to accumulation of chlorine in root zone. 100% dose of K showed beneficial effects on gerbera, higher application of K had not shown any Favorable effect on Gerbera.