Study on Balanced Fertilization for High yield and Quality of Radix Paeoniae and Chrysanthemum in Bozhou, Anhui Province
English
IPNI-2005-CHN-AH15
09 Feb 2006
2005 Annual Interpretive Summary
Balanced Fertilization for High Yield and Quality Radix Paeoniaeand Chrysanthemumin Bozhou, 2005
Radix paeoniae(peony) is a perennial medicinal herb while chrysanthemum is an annual medicinal herb. In this study, differences in Radix paeoniae growth and development due to treatment were not observed in the first year.
Results of chrysanthemum trials have found slight alterations in selected properties and economic characters due to applied treatments. Higher nitrogen (N) rates did increase the number of primary and secondary branches. At the same level of N, primary branch number increased with initial increases in potassium (K) and then dropped as K rate increased further. The highest number of primary branches was 18.7 with an N, phosphorus (P), K application of 225-225-150 kg N-P2O5-K2O/ha. The zero fertilizer check produced the lowest number (7.5) of primary branches. Under lower N levels, secondary branch numbers increased under higher K rates up to 150 kg K2O/ha. Potassium also had a significant effect on flower numbers. When N rate was below 150 kg N/ha, flower numbers per plant increased with increased K fertilization rate and peaked at 150 kg K2O/ha. Flower weight per plant also increased notably under higher K rates. Under the same N level, flower weight per plant increased with increases in K application. The highest yield and income was obtained with 225-75-225 kg/ha (OPT). Compared to the zero fertilizer check, the OPT produced an additional 250 kg/ha (+55.7%) and returned an additional US$309/ha. The OPT also produced 26% and 20% more than the common practice and - K treatments, respectively.
Chrysanthemum production covers over 10,000 ha within Anhui Province. If K and N applications are increased as directed in this research, the increase in income is estimated to be US$1.76 million for Anhui province. Anhui-15