Effect of spacing and shading intensity on growth performance of Podophyllum hexandrum Royle: A critically endangered plant species of Western Himalaya

Abstract

The present experimental study was conducted in the research field at Faculty of Forestry, SKUAST- Kashmir, located in the central part of Kashmir Himalayas with degraded landscapes. The study was conducted during the year 2019–2021 aimed to study the effect of spacing and shading intensity on growth performance of Podophyllum hexandrum Royle. Three types of spacing viz., 30 cm × 30 cm (S1), 30 cm × 45 cm (S2) and 30 cm × 60 cm (S3) and four types of shading intensities viz., open (D1), 25% (D2), 50% (D3) and 75% (D4) were tested as per factorial randomized complete block design (Factorial RCBD). All the treatments significantly influenced the growth and yield parameters of Podophyllum hexandrum plants. It was observed that plants with 30 × 60 cm spacing and 75% shade intensity recorded maximum leaf length (19.66 cm), leaf width (30.33 cm), leaf area (124.33cm2), biomass (73.57 g/plant), survival percentage (94.33%), and fruiting percentage of (81.66%). Rhizome yield/ha was maximum (1625.66 kg/ha) for 30 × 30 cm spacing under 75% shading. Our study concludeds that Podophyllum hexandrum thrives best under shade and based on the findings of the study it is recommended to plant Podophyllum hexandrum at spacing of 30 × 60 cm spacing under 75% shading intensity to obtain maximum growth attributes and fruiting percentage.