Effect of Trichoderma, Organic Manure and Inorganic Fertilizer on Growth, Flowering and Post-harvest Parameters in Rose cv. Top Secret

Abstract

The present investigation was conducted from 2023 to 2025 at the Horticulture Research Farm and Post-harvest Laboratory, Department of Horticulture, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, featuring nine nutrient treatments that included various combinations of farmyard manure (FYM), vermicompost and recommended fertilizer doses (RDF). These were divided into two groups, viz., Trichoderma inoculated plants and Trichoderma uninoculated plants, to assess their effects on growth, flowering and postharvest quality of rose cv. Top Secret, under open ventilated polyhouse conditions. The experiment was conducted using a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with nine different treatments, each replicated five times. The treatments included: T1 (100% RDF), T2 (100% FYM), T3 (100% Vermicompost), T4 (75% FYM + 25% Vermicompost), T5 (50% FYM + 50% Vermicompost), T6 (25% FYM + 75% Vermicompost), T7 (50% FYM + 50% RDF), T8 (50% Vermicompost + 50% RDF) and T9 (Control, no fertilizer), each examine with and without Trichoderma inoculation. Significant differences were recorded across all measured parameters. The maximum plant height (107.08 cm) and the highest number of leaves (189.76) were found in T7 with Trichoderma inoculated and flower production (27.69 flowers/plant) was also in the same. Early bud initiation (26.14 days), the longest vase life (16.12 days) occurred in T7 with Trichoderma inoculation and the highest anthocyanin content (620.66 mg/100g) occurred in T3 with Trichoderma inoculation. These findings suggest that integrated nutrient management using a combination of organic and inorganic fertilizers, along with Trichoderma, can significantly enhance the growth, flowering and postharvest quality of rose cv. Top Secret under protected cultivation.