Time of pruning influences the growth and bulb yield of edible lily (Lilium davidii var. unicolor) plants

Abstract

SummaryEdible lily (Lilium davidii var. unicolor) is a high-value plant due to its uses in food and health products in China. A 3-year trial was conducted on bud or flower pruning to study the effect of different pruning times on vegetative growth and bulb yield in L. davidii var. unicolor to help growers to determine the optimum pruning treatment and time. Four different pruning treatments, and a non-pruned control (CK), were compared. Treatment P1, involved pruning when the stalk height was approx. 20 cm. P2, involved pruning when the plants began to bud. P3, involved pruning when the most buds were 3 cm in length. P4, involved pruning when plants were flowering. The results indicated that pruning treatment affected both vegetative growth and bulb yield. Total plant biomass, the leaf area index (LAI), the leaf area ratio (LAR), the specific leaf area (SLA), and root:shoot dry matter (DM) ratio (R:S) values were highest in treatment P2. Marketable bulb yield (2.60 kg m–2 field) was also highest under treatment P2. This indicated that the optimum pruning time not only accelerated plant growth and DM accumulation, but also altered the transport of photo-assimilate, and thus greatly increased bulb yield.