AbstractChrysanthemum (Dendranthema grandiflora Tzvelev) is an economically significant ornamental crop with diverse applications including cut flowers, loose flowers and potted plants. This study evaluated the growth and flowering performance of ten chrysanthemum cultivars under polyhouse conditions at the College of Horticulture, Bagalkot. The experiment followed a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications and data on key parameters such as plant height, spread, primary branches, stem girth, internodal length, flower count, flower diameter and ray floret dimensions were recorded and statistically analyzed. The results demonstrated significant variability among the cultivars. Bontempi excelled in vegetative growth, recording the highest plant height (122.42 cm), plant spread (N-S: 21.84 cm, E-W: 22.83 cm) and flower production (16.42 flowers per plant). Big White stood out for its flower diameter (7.94 cm) and ray floret length (2.82 cm), while Hamilton showed excellent overall growth and floral traits, including plant height (120.78 cm) and ray floret width (1.8 cm). Cultivars such as Arctic Queen and Champagne Yellow also displayed favorable characteristics, including floral quality and adaptability to polyhouse conditions. The findings underscore the influence of genetic potential and controlled environmental conditions on chrysanthemum performance. Cultivars like Bontempi, Hamilton, Arctic Queen, and Champagne Yellow emerged as highly suitable for commercial polyhouse cultivation due to their superior vegetative growth, flower quality and adaptability. This study provided valuable insights for optimizing chrysanthemum production under controlled environments to meet market demands.
Kumar et al. (Wed,) studied this question.