Studies on canopy management using plant growth retardant in hollyhock (Alcea rosea)

The present study entitled “Studies on Canopy Management using Plant Growth Retardant in hollyhock (Alcea rosea)” was conducted at the Horticultural Research cum Instructional Farm, College of Agriculture, Indira Gandhi Krishi Vishwavidyalaya, Raipur (C.G) during the year 2024-2025. The study confirmed that hollyhock plants treated with foliar application of the application of Cycocel @ 1250 ppm (CCC) (T8) results showed that the Cycocel treatment effectively reduced plant height to 47.65 cm at 60 DAT and 120.10 cm at 90 DAT, a substantial decrease compared to the control plants which reached 80.14 cm and 195.56 cm, respectively. While reducing height, Cycocel @ 1250 ppm (T8) also promoted a more compact and robust plant structure. It led to a maximum plant spread (E-W: 55.19 cm, N-S: 51.00 cm), an increased number of primary branches (22.86), a higher number of leaves per plant (36.50 at 60 DAT and 42.40 at 90 DAT), and the highest stem diameter (20.52 mm). Conversely, this treatment resulted in a smaller leaf area (170.33 cm²) and minimum internodal length (7.26 cm). Furthermore, the application of Cycocel @ 1250 ppm (T8) positively influenced flowering characteristics, leading to the maximum number of flowers per plant (188.66), the largest flower diameter (90.82 cm), and the longest flower withering period (3.50 days). In contrast, Paclobutrazol (PBZ) at 50 ppm accelerated the flowering time. These findings demonstrate that Cycocel @ 1250 ppm is highly effective in controlling plant height and enhancing a number of desirable ornamental traits, suggesting its potential for landscaping use.