Effect of CaSO4 and Salicylic Acid on Flowering and Post-harvest Life Attributes of Rose cv. Pleasure Grown under Protected Condition

An experiment was conducted at the Horticulture Research Farm, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, during the 2018-19 under the protected conditions. The experimental design employed was a Randomized Block Design (RBD), featuring four replications and seven treatments. These treatments included three concentrations of CaSO4 (5, 10 and 15 ppm) and three concentrations of salicylic acid (SA) (50, 100 and 150 ppm) in addition to a control using distilled water. Among the various treatments, the application of salicylic acid @ 150 ppm proved most effective regarding for water uptake by flower stalk, fresh weight of flower stalk, malondialdehyde (MDA) content, anthocyanin content, vase life, number of flowers per plant, flower stalk diameter and flower diameter as compared to other treatments and control (Water). From an economic perspective, the use of SA at 150 ppm was found to be advantageous compared to the other treatments.