Dahlias (Dahlia variabilis) are popular ornamental plants cultivated in many countries which characterized by the rich variety, different forms and attractive flower colors. The present investigation was conducted to study the effect of Sodium Nitroprusside and Gibberellic acid on the growth and flowering of Dahlia cv. Kenya. During two successive season 2021-22 and 2022-23. Different concentration viz. 100 ppm, 150 ppm and 200 ppm of SNP and GA3 as a foliar spray were used. Result indicated that tallest plant (121.54 cm) was those sprayed with GA3 at 200mgL-1. Additionally, it showed that foliar application of GA3 at 200mgL−1 significantly increased the number of branches per plant (12.50), Plant Spread (98.72 cm), number of flowers per plant (15.00), stalk length (19.90 cm) and number of tubers (11.00) while maximum stem diameter (15.67 mm) and highest tuber yield per plant was recorded in GA3 100 ppm and GA3 150 ppm respectively. The most rapid flower bud initiation (50.21 days after planting) and days to 50% flowering (75.21 days) occurred when plants were sprayed with GA3 at 200mgL1. SNP gives better result compared than control but Ga3 more improved the all attributes of dahlia plant. In conclusion, the vegetative flowering and yield characters of dahlia could be improved by application of either GA3.

Dahlia variabilis, GA3, SNP, Morphological parameters, Foliar spray

This study investigated the potential functions of SNP and GA3 in enhancing the overall growth of dahlia plants relative to the control. Foliar application of GA3 was more able than SNP to increase all vegetative, flowering, and tuber characteristics, and this could be a good and economical method for enhancing flower's visual and marketable quality. To produce plants with taller shoots useful for getting more high-quality flowers, 200 ppm of GA3 is suggested. Economically, SNP is a low-cost compound that has the potential to enhance the vegetative growth and flowering of dahlia plants, while GA3 is more expensive than SNP. Also recommended is the foliar application of 200 ppm SNP followed by 200 ppm GA3.

Chetan Chauhan, Mukesh Kumar, Sunil Malik, Manoj Kumar Yadav, L.K. Gangwar, Akash Tomar, Mohit and Varsha Rani (2023). Effect of exogenous application of Sodium Nitroprusside (SNP) and Gibberellic Acid (GA3) on growth and flowering of Dahlia (Dahlia variabilis L.) CV. Kenya. Biological Forum – An International Journal, 15(8): 175-185.