Unit 1- . Cultivation of ornamental and flowering crops - Chapter - 1 - Aster - Class notes

CHINA ASTER

Common name:  China aster

Scientific name:  Callestephus chinensis

Family:   Asteraceae.

Ø  This is a lovely flowering annual and a popular ornamental plant.

Ø  This plant is a native of China.

Ø  This flowering annual is popular among florists and gardeners due to its short duration and wide range of colors.

Ø  In India it is widely grown in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Maharashtra.

Ø  This is cheaply available cut flower.

Major uses of China Aster:

1.      It is the most popular garden annual

2.      Used for flower arrangements, bouquet making and religious offerings

3.      Commercially used as cut flower for interior decorations

4.      It is a popular pot  plant.

5.      This can be used as herbaceous border in garden and window boxes.

General Characters of Plant:

Ø  It is a half hardy annual flowering plant

Ø  Height of plant ranges from 6 inches to 3 feet

Ø  Plants are erect with branching habit

Ø  Leaves are alternate, broadly ovate with irregularly toothed margins.

The features of aster Flowers:

Ø  Flowers are solitary i.e. occurs singly on the tip of shoot

Ø  Blooms contain two kinds of florets:

Ø  Outer Ray florets are long

Ø  Central Disc florets  are short

Ø  Flowers are double or semidouble

Ø  They have star like flower head.

Ø  Their colors vary from white to creamy yellow, pink, blue, red and purple

Climate and growing seasons:

Ø  China aster is normally a winter season flowering annual

Ø  The day temperature of 10 – 12^o C is favourable to develop large size flowers

Ø  The color is well developed in the temperature range of 20 -30^o C during day and 15 – 17 ^o C during night with relative humidity 50 -60%

Ø  It needs sufficient sunlight for both better growth and flowering

Ø  It needs limited rains, spread over from June Septmeber, followed by provision of frequent but light irrigation.

Ø  Heavy rain cause fungal disease like leaf spot and wilt

Soil:

Ø  China aster prefers to grow in an open sunny location

Ø  The crop is susceptible to more water logging hence well drained red loamy soils are required

Ø  The pH should be around 6.8 – 7.5

Ø  Heavy soils with high calcium content are not suitable

Cultivars of China aster:

Numerous cultivars are available for aster.  Cultivars can be grouped based on their size,  They are;

1.      Very Dwarf – up to 20 cm

2.      Dwarf – 20 cm – 40 cm

3.      Intermediate – 40 – 60 cm

4.      Tall – 60 – 80 cm

Varieties

Varieties developed outside India are;

1.      Bouquet Powder Puff

2.      Bouquet White

3.      Ostrich Plume

4.      Dwarf queen

5.      Pinocchio,

6.      Dwarf chrysanthemum

7.      Dwarf triumph

8.      American beauty

9.      American branching

Varieties developed in India are

1. Poornima

2. Violet cushion

3. Kamini

4. Shashank

5. Phule Ganesh White

6. Phule Ganesh Pink

7. Phule Ganesh Purple

Cultivation practices of Aster

Propagation

China aster is propagated through seeds.

                    Seed Rate:

A seed rate of 625 – 750 g/ha is sufficient

Sowing:

Ø  Seeds can be sown in raised nursery beds or in seed pans

Ø  Seeds are sown 10 – 12 cm apart and covered with a mixture of soil and FYM

Ø  After sowing the beds should be watered gently with rose can

Transplanting:

Seedlings are ready for transplanting in 30 – 45 days and can be transplanted at  3 – 4 leaf stage.  The seedlings are hardened before transplanting.

Field Preparation

Ø  The field should be ploughed thoroughly and brought to a fine tilth.

Ø  About 10-15 tonnes of well-decomposed farmyard manure may be incorporated in the soil at the time of soil preparation.

Ø  In areas receiving high rainfall the seedlings should be planted on ridges to avoid chances of Fusarium wilt.

Spacing:

A general spacing of 30 x 30 cm may be optimum for Aster species.

Fertiliser recommendation:

Ø  FYM @ 10 – 15 tonnes/ ha

Ø  Fertilizer recommendation for China Aster is 140:120:60 Kg NPK/ha

Ø  Chemical fertilizer at the rate of 90:120:60 Kg NPK/ha  is applied as basal dose.

Ø  The crop has to be top-dressed with 50 kg N/ha  at 40 Days after transplanting.

Irrigation:

Since China aster is a shallow rooted crop, it needs continuous soil moisture throughout the entire period of crop growth.  The crop has to be irrigated once in 4- 5 days depending upon the soil and weather conditions. 

Special horticultural Practices:

1.     Earthing up:

Earthing up can be done twice at 30 days interval

2.     Pinching:

           Pinching of main shoot at one month after transplanting promotes growth and flowering.  Pinching delays first flowering by 8-12 days.

3.Weeding:                                                                                                                        The crop needs two hand weeding.

4.     Use Of Growth Regulators:

                      In China aster, the number of flowers per plant and the duration of flowering were increased by spraying GA3 at 200 or 300ppm.  Foliar spray with MH delays flowering.

Plant protection:

Insect Pests:

Chrysomelid beetle/ Pumpkin beetle:

Chrysomelid beetle (Aulacophora foveicollis) attacks newly planted crops and makes holes on leaves and cut tender shoots of China aster. This pest can easily be controlled by soil application of suitable insecticides.

Semilooper:

Attack of semilooper (Ctenoplusia albostriata) is severe during June.  The loopers feed on leaves. These insects can be controlled effectively by spraying of quinalphos at 0.5 ml/l water or carbaryl at 1.0 ml/l water.

Stem borer:

Larvae of Platyptilla molopias bore into stem and side branches and results in hollowing and wilting of affected shoots. Soil application of insecticides is found effective to control this insect.

Flower eating caterpillar:

Flowers of China aster are mainly damaged by Helicoverpa armigera and Phycita spp. These insects feed on flower head mainly during October month. Spraying of Imidacloprid  @0.5ml/l  water is effective to control flower eating caterpillar.

 

Leaf hopper:

Common pests of China aster is leaf hopper (Macrosteles fascifrons), feeding on plants and this insect also transmits yellows virus. Treatment with suitable insecticide like dimecron at 1 ml/1 water or rogor at 2 ml/l water will control this insect effectively.

Black blister beetle:

The black blister beetle (Epicauta pennsylvanica) is also known as aster beetle. This insect attacks on plant and damage leaves and flower heads.

Leaf miner:

             This insect (Liriomyza campositell) feeds on foliage of aster.  Damaged leaves become disfigured. Adults lay eggs on leaves and maggots feed inside leaves and flower calyx, leaving characteristic mine. Spray  Imidacloprid  @0.5ml/l

Diseases:

Fusarium Wilt:

The disease is caused by Fusarium ozysporium.  Plants shows wilting and withering.  Diseased plants show studnted growth.  Soaking of seeds in fungicides solution, Soil drenching with Carbendazim 1g/l  and steam sterilization of soil will control the diseases. 

Leaf spot:

The fungus Aschochyta asteris cause this disease.  Yellowish spots appears, which become brownish to black.  The size of the spots increases gradually.  Lower portion of the leaves are infected first.  Spraying with Bavistin (0.1%) will control the disease.

Collar rot:

            It is caused by Phytophthora cryptogea.  Sudden wilting of plant and rotting of stem at ground level and root rot occurs. Fungicide  Mancozeb can be used to control the disease.

Harvesting, post-harvest handling and yield:

Ø  Flowers are ready for harvesting in 10-12 weeks after transplanting.

Ø  Harvesting plays an important role in determining the flower quality.

Ø  Generally in Aster fully opened flowers are considered ready for harvest.

China aster is harvested in two different ways,

         Individual flowers are harvested for decoration and worship purpose whereas flowers along with stalk or the whole plant just above the ground are cut for cut flower purpose

Ø  For cut flower    : Flowers along with stalks or whole plants are harvested.

Ø  For loose flower: Individual flowers are harvested with short stems attached.

Yield: 

Approximate yield is 18 - 20 t/ha.

Post-Harvest Management Of Aster

Usually a bunch of aster contains 20 flowers

After harevest:

Ø  Cut flowers are put vertically in clean water immediately

Ø  Then, Lower leaves are attached to stalk are removed.

Grading:

Grading can be done according to,

Ø  Stalk Length

Ø  Size and shape of flowers

Ø  Freshness

Bunching:

Flowers graded are cleaned by removing unwanted leaves and bunches are prepared.  A bunch accommodates 3 – 5 plants and 25 – 30 bunches are kept together to make 1 bundle.

 Packing:

Ø  While packing care should be taken so that no direct contact between flowers and packing material.

Ø  Clear plastic film improves attractiveness of flowers and provides protection to them during transportation.

Improving vase life of flowers:

Ø  Aster Flowers have Good keeping quality and  it can be extended by floral preservatives. 

Ø  For prolonging the vase life of aster holding solution of 0.2 percentage Al₂(SO4)₂ and 2% Sucrose is advisable.

Ø  A specific odour which is usually generated by China aster stems can be reduced by addition of few drops of formaldehyde in water.