International Journal of Plant & Soil Science

A field experiment was carried out to study the efficacy of foliar spray of micronutrients on growth, flowering parameter, yield, and quality of China aster during October 2022 to March 2023 at Floriculture Research Field, Department of Horticulture, Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture Technology & Sciences, Prayagraj (U.P.). The experiment was designed with eleven treatment combinations, including ZnSO₄, FeSO₄, CuSO₄, and MgSO₄, along with their interaction effects at concentrations of 0.2% and 0.4% using the foliar spraying method, alongside a control group. The experimental results revealed that the treatment T₁₁ (ZnSO₄ @0.4% + FeSO₄ @0.4% + CuSO₄ @0.4% + MgSO₄ @0.4%) found best in terms of growth, yield and quality parameters of China aster, followed by treatment T₁₀ (ZnSO₄ @0.2% + FeSO₄ @0.2% + CuSO₄ @0.2% + MgSO₄ @0.2%). Whereas treatment T₅ (FeSO₄ @0.4%) found the best results in terms of days to first flower bud initiation, days from flower bud initiation to anthesis, and days to 50% flowering. In terms of the economics of the different treatments, the maximum gross return, net return, and benefit- cost ratio were found in T₁₁, followed by T₁₀, while the minimum was recorded in treatment T₁ (Control).