Effect of planting time on growth and development of wedelia chinensis [osbek] merr. [mohavringaraj]

ABSTRACT

Linear regression equations based on growth of a medicinal herb Wedelia chinensis were compared for plants, grown in three different periods viz. 1st January [S[1]], 1st May [S[2]] and 1st September [S[3]]. A pot experiment was carried out to study the effect of planting time on growth and development of wedelia chinensis. Growth performance in terms of plant length, number of leaves, number of new leaves, number of branches and number of new branches were determined weekly for 10 weeks. The highest value of plant length, number of leaves and number of branches were found for S[2] and lowest for S[1]. Comparison of linear regression equations [total leaf number] showed that S[1] and S[3] took 23.23 and 6.72 times more period respectively than S[2] to produce a crop with the same number of leaves. Growth rate differences considered were temperature and rainfall related