Floret Length Research Articles

Efficacy of Biostimulants on Growth, Flowering and Yield of Dendrobium var. Sonia White

The experiment was conducted during March, 2022–February, 2023 at Greenhouse Complex, Department of Floriculture and Landscape Architecture, ASPEE College of Horticulture, Navsari Agricultural University, Navsari, Gujarat, India to assess the effects of various biostimulants on the performance of Dendrobium var. Sonia White under naturally ventilated polyhouse conditions. Nine treatments were carried out at monthly intervals over a year in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with three repetitions, using a foliar spray of different biostimulants viz. Chitosan viz. 75, 100, 125 ppm; Brassinosteroid viz. 0.25, 0.50, 0.75 ppm; Novel Organic Liquid Nutrients at 2%; Gliricidia Nutrient Extract at 2%. The result indicated that among all treatments, the application of 0.75 ppm Brassinosteroid (T6) at monthly intervals resulted in maximum plant height (43.94 cm), leaf area (45.82 cm2) and chlorophyll content (0.478 mg g-1) after 12 months. In terms of flowering parameters, it also resulted in the highest number of spikes plant-1 (4.87), longest spike length (49.42 cm), highest number of florets spike-1 (12.01), longest floret length (7.59 cm), longest spike longevity (52.44 days), longest vase life (31.96 days) along with Highest Net realization (`Rs. 7457160 per ha-1) and BCR (2.03) in Dendrobium var. Sonia White.

Management of Root-Knot Nematode, Meloidogyne incognita Infecting Tuberose by Using Bioformulations under Field Condition

Aims: To evaluate the effectiveness of different bioformulations for management of root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne incognita infecting tuberose under field condition. Study Design: Randomized Block Design. Place and Duration of Study: Biswanath College of Agriculture, AAU, Biswanath Chariali, Assam during summer season 2024. Methodology: Bulbs of tuberose cultivar Prajwal were planted in root-knot nematode infested sick plot. In this experiment seven treatments were considered and the treatments were replicated thrice. Bioformulations viz., Neem cake, Neem leaf power, Biover, Biozium, Biomonas and AAU-Bioguard were applied treatment wise and mixed with soil before planting of bulbs. Observations on plant height and floral characteristics viz. spike length, rachis length, spike weight, number of floret per spike, floret length and nematode multiplication parameters like number of galls, egg masses per root system and final nematode population in soil were recorded. Results: Upon observation results showed that all the treatments were significantly effective in increasing the plant height, floral characteristic and reducing the number of galls, eggmasses and final nematode population in soil as compared to that of untreated control. Highest plant height(46.50cm), spike length (66.33cm), spike weight (37.33g), rachis length(32cm), number of florets per spike(25.26) and floret length(4.66cm) was recorded in the treatment with Biover@5kg enriched with FYM 5t/ha, which was followed by the treatment with Biozium @5kg enriched with FYM 5t/ha and neem cake @ 1t/ha. Maximum reduction of number of galls (35.18%), eggmasses (31.79%) and final nematode population in soil (39.65%) was recorded in the treatment with Biover@5kg enriched with FYM 5t/ha. Conclusion: From this experiment it can be concluded that all the bioformulations were found to be effective for increasing plant height, floral characteristic and reducing the nematode multiplication and these can be incorporated in root-knot nematode management programme. Among the bioformulations Biover was found to be most effective.

Morphological and molecular characterization of some Chrysanthemum (Dendranthema grandiflora) cultivars

The diversity and genetic relationships among seven commercial chrysanthemum cultivars were analyzed using morphological and molecular markers. Vegetative growth, flowering, flower yield, and flower quality parameters were evaluated to assess genetic variability across the cultivars. Cultivars Crystal Red, Kodiack, and Crystal White exhibited superior vegetative growth, while Abrun, Crystal Red, and Kodiack displayed better flowering characteristics, particularly in terms of the number of inflorescences per plant and mass of colored flowering. Crystal White, Coca Bleach, and Crystal Red cultivars demonstrated the highest inflorescence stalk length, while cvs. Crystal Red, Crystal Yellow, Crystal Pink, and Kodiack Yellow recorded the maximum number of ray floret inflorescences. Other quality parameters such as inflorescence diameter and ray floret length were found to be optimal in Kodiack, Crystal White, Crystal Pink, Coca Bleach, and Crystal Yellow cultivars. Simple Sequence Repeat (SSR) markers were employed to distinguish and identify standard-type chrysanthemum cultivars, utilizing twelve SSR markers from the chrysanthemum SSR database. The results suggest that these SSR markers hold promise for identifying additional chrysanthemum cultivar types and assessing genetic relationships among them. Association studies combining morphological and molecular data offer a valuable approach to identifying informative markers for plant breeding purposes.

Effect of Pinching on Growth, Yield, and Quality of African Marigold (Tagetes erecta L.) cv. Pusa Narangi Gainda

Marigold is a very common and a hardy flower crop cultivated throughout the world. Pinching is an important intercultural practice commonly followed in cultivation of marigold however, this needs to be standardized for getting higher yields in commercial cultivation. Hence, the present investigation was conducted at Rajasthan Agricultural Research Institute, Durgapura, Jaipur, Division of Horticulture, during 2020-21 and 2021-22 to standardize the commercial pinching practice for getting higher productivity. Three levels of pinching (no pinching, single at 20 days and double at 20 and 40 days after transplanting) were used in the course of the research arranged using a factorial randomized block layout with three replications applied to African marigold variety Pusa Narangi Gainda. The results revealed that treatment P0 (No pinching) was discovered to be the finest in increment in height of plant, early flower bud initiation flower opening and treatment P2 (Double pinching) in boosting spread of plant, primary branches, length of leaf, leaf width, leaf area, plant fresh weight, plant dry weight, total biomass, root- shoot ratio, 50% flowering, flower diameter, stalk and ray floret length, fresh and dry flower weight, mass and number of flower per plant, flower yield additionally improved quality characteristics like chlorophyll and xanthophyll content in marigold. Hence, it might be concluded that application of double pinching can be helpful and recommended in improving yield as well as quality characteristics in commercial cultivation of marigold.

Optimizing the Growth and Flowering of Gladiolus (Gladiolus grandiflorus L.) cv. Arka Amar: Date of Planting & Gibberellic Acid Effects

Twelve treatment combinations of the date of planting and gibberellic acid treatment of the corm were replicated three times in the Randomized Block Design (RBD) factorial concept investigation conducted in Gladiolus (Gladiolus grandiflorus L.) cv. Arka Amar during the 2022–2023 rabi season at SOADU, Bhubaneswar (Odisha). The findings showed that on September 15, the planting date and dipping the corms with 150 ppm GA3 concentration resulted in the maximum number of sprouting (2.56), plant height (62.42 cm), number of floret per spike (20.72), floret length (11.56 cm), rachis length (68.41 cm), vase life (7.33 days), and diameter of harvested corm (5.71 cm). Comparably, on November 15th planting with a 100 ppm GA3 concentration of corm treatment, the number of leaves/plant (14.47) and spike length (88.49 cm) demonstrated the greatest results; on October 15th planting, with a 150 ppm GA3 concentration of corm treatment, the least number of days required for spike initiation (72.73) and total number of corms per plot (67) was concluded. Maximum flowering time of 10.2 days was noted in planting on September 15th, using corms bathed in 100ppm GA3. The optimal way to maximize gladiolus cv. Arka Amar flowering and yield was determined in treatment 15th of September planting with dipping corms at 150 ppm GA3 concentration. In general, the research of maximizing gladiolus development by taking into account planting dates and the impacts of gibberellic acid is crucial for raising scientific understanding of gladiolus agriculture as well as yield, quality, and resource efficiency.

Influence of Organic Manures and Integrated Nutrient Management on Floral Characteristics and Corm Yield in Gladiolus cv. Nova Lux

A field experiment was conducted at the Department of Horticulture, Janta College Bakewar, Etawah, India, during 2021-22. The experiment was conducted in a randomized block design with 10 treatments with replications. Different combinations of Vermi-compost, F.Y.M., and NPK were used as treatments. The results revealed that, amongst all the treatments, the application of N.P.K. 120:80:80 kg + V.C. 10 t/ha in treatment (T8) produced significant results. Average height of plant in (90 DAS)73.16cm, Average number of leaves per plant (60 DAS) 5.78, Average width of longest leaf in 5.77cm (final stage), Average length of florets in 9.88 cm (full blooming stage), Average Number of cormels 32.04 per plant, Average weight of corms 150.51 (g). It can be concluded that application of N.P.K. and vermi composed could be used as organic fertilizer for production of Gladiolus.

Study on the Evaluation Genetic Variability of Gladiolus (Gladiolus grandiflorus) Cultivars Under Agro –Climatic Conditions of Prayagraj

Aims: A field experiment was carried out to “Study on Evaluating Genetic Variability of Gladiolus (Gladiolus grandiflorus L.) Cultivars under Agro –Climatic conditions of Prayagraj”. Place and Duration of Study: An experiment was carried out in the Department of Horticulture during the Rabi season of 2023-2024. Study Design: Randomized Block Design. Methodology: The analysis of the data showed that phenotypic coefficient of variation (PCV) was higher than genotypic coefficient of variation (GCV) for all characters studied, indicating that environmental factors had a significant influence on these characters. In addition, positive and highly significant correlations were observed in between tuber yield per plant (gm) and various other traits including the No. of leaves at 30DAS, 60DAS and 90DAS and No. of shoots per plant, days for the first flowering, peduncle length, No. of florets per spike, No. of ears per plant, length of floret, diameter of floret, No. of corms per plant and diameter of corms, weight of corms and No. of corms per hectare and No. of corms per hectare. Results: The mean sum of squares due to genotypes showed significant differences for all characters under study for except days taken for emergence of flower spike and days taken to show color of basal floret. High magnitude of GCV were recorded for No. of leaves (52.70), Corm yield/plant (46.40), No. of cormels/hectare(39.12), Cormel diameter(38.36), No. of corms/hectare(28.97), No. of corms per plant(28.97), No. of leaves at 60DAS(26.64), No. of shoot(26.64). The genotypic and phenotypic correlation coefficient of different characters with Corms yield/plant (g) and their relationship among themselves Conclusion: Genotypic and Phenotypic correlation revealed that corms weight/plant (g) showed positive significant association with plant height, number of leavesper plant, number of shoots per plant, rachis length, no. of cormels per hectare and corm yield/ plant at both levels genotypic and phenotypic.

Studies on the Impact of Spacing, Pinching and Growth Retardants on Vegetative Growth and Flowering Behaviour of Salvia

The present investigation entitled “Studies on the impact of spacing, pinching and growth retardants on vegetative growth and flowering behaviour of Salvia” was conducted at College of Agriculture, Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology, Bhubaneswar, Odisha during December 2021 to April 2022. The experiment was laid out in a Factorial Randomized Block Design (FRBD) with three replications, comprising of 12 treatment combinations which includes the first factor spacing with two levels i.e., S1 (20 cm x 25 cm) and S2 (25 cm x 25 cm), second factor pinching with two levels i.e., P0 (no pinching) and P1 (pinching) and the third factor application of growth retardants with three levels i.e., G0 (control), G1 (CCC @500ppm) and G2 (MH @100ppm). The findings revealed that pinching and the application of growth retardants had a greater impact on critical flowering attributes than the spacing experimented with in this study. Treatment combination S2P1G1 i.e., T11 was proved to be better and yielded significant improvements. Based on the results it was concluded that pinching and application of CCC resulted in better growth and development in salvia regarding vegetative and flowering characters. Thus, the treatment combination S2P1G1 i.e., T11 was found to be superior for vegetative growth characters like plant height, the number of branches, the number of leaves and flowering characters like the number of flower spikes per plant, length of flower spike, and length of florets.

Honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) foraging rewards in sunflowers: effect of floral traits on visitation and variation in pollen quality over two consecutive years

Sunflower production depends on pollination by honey bees, Apis mellifera L., and wild bees. For wild sunflower oligoleges, preference for various sunflower lines seems to reflect the quantity (or accessibility) of floral rewards, with floret size (≈accessibility of sunflower nectar) appearing most important. However, it is less clear how honey bees, a key generalist, are affected by sunflower floral traits. The honey bee-sunflower interaction was explored to test if accessibility of nectar (≈floret size) and related floral traits explain foraging preferences and to assess potential nutritional variation in sunflower pollen. In the first two years, honey bee foraging preference increased with decreasing floret length similar to previous observations with wild pollinators. In the second year, no similar response was seen, though nectar rewards (by volume or volume × concentration) were remarkably low compared to the previous year. Pollen collected from bagged plants in the second year showed sunflower lines differed in concentrations (µg/mg ± SE) of total fatty acids and essential fatty acids. In general, it appears that honey bee responses to floral traits are similar to those of wild bees responsible for pollinating much of the sunflower crop in the central United States and that variation in the nutritional quality of sunflower pollen is greater than previously known. Because of the broad geographic distribution of the sunflower crop, additional research on how the environment influences floral rewards and sunflower-pollinator interactions may be needed.

Evaluation of the growth, flower quality, yield and vase life of gerbera (Gerbera jamesonii L.) cultivars under open ventilated saw-tooth type polyhouse

Cultivation of crops under protected conditions can enhance the yield and quality of agricultural produce. Gerbera is one of the high-value cut flowers which can be commercially cultivated under greenhouse conditions in tropical and subtropical regions. The choice of commercially viable cultivars is essential for obtaining its marketability. Moreover, cultivars of gerbera should be highly productive. Considering the above facts, the present study was conducted in 2020-2022 in the Protected Cultivation Unit of the Centurion University of Technology and Management where 10 cultivars were chosen as treatments. They were Intense, White house, Stanza, Dune, Dana-ellen, Artist, Sunway, Silvester, Pre-intenzz and Ankur. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design and replicated three times. The data collected on the growth parameters, quality, yield, and vase life revealed that among all the cultivars of gerbera, Dana-ellen showed its superiority over others in terms of plant height and number of leaves (49.3 cm and 31.0 at 120 days after sowing respectively), days to first flowering (84.3), flower stalk length (64.8 cm), flower stalk girth (67.2 cm), ray floret length (8.7 mm) and suckers per plant (3.4); however, it remained on par with Dune, Intense, and Silvester in expression of most of the crop parameters. Similarly, the same variety Dana-ellen registered the highest yields (27.3, 33.7 and 34.7 flowers per plant during first, second and third years of the study respectively) among all the cultivars. Moreover, the variety Dune recorded the maximum vase life of 8.4 days and 9.2 days with citric acid and sucrose solutions, respectively. The study concluded that the cultivation of Dana-ellen, Dune, Silvester, and Artist under open-ventilated saw-tooth polyhouse conditions can be commercially viable for achieving higher flower quality and yield.

Assessing Amounts of Genetic Variability in Key Horticultural Traits Underlying Core Korean Breeding Lines of Cut Chrysanthemums.

The cut chrysanthemum holds one of the most substantial segments of the global floriculture market, particularly in Korea. We conducted a detailed assessment of the genetic structures across the cut chrysanthemum breeding lines in Korea. Using standard and spray chrysanthemum breeding lines from leading Korean research institutes, we first compared the variability of 12 horticultural traits, revealing a wide range of variation for most traits. We found that the overall flower diameter (OFD) and ray floret length (RFL) showed a solid positive relationship, regardless of the type. From a multivariate approach, OFD, RFL, and ray floret width (RFW) show consistently high association. Genotypic and phenotypic coefficients of variation analyses further indicated the significant genetic control over most traits. However, certain traits, like the volume of flowers (VF) in standard types, are more influenced by environments. Lastly, our analysis demonstrated substantial variability in broad-sense heritability (H); plant height (PH) consistently showed high H in both types. But the number of side branches (NOSB) and VF exhibited inconsistent H scores. These findings highlight the need for type-specific breeding strategies and modulating environmental management to optimize the trait expressions depending on the H scores, which offers significant implications for future breeding strategies.

Improving pollen and nectar supply by identifying the red clover (Trifolium pratense) cultivars that attract most pollinators

Abstract Red clover (Trifolium pratense) is an important legume in agriculture for fodder and building soil fertility. Red clover flowers are also a valuable pollen and nectar source for pollinators during bloom. Farmers can choose among hundreds of commercially available red clover cultivars to plant, but the value of different cultivars for pollinators is not currently assessed or used as a recommendation criterion for farmers. Here, we compared the numbers of pollinators on 20 red clover accessions (12 cultivars and 8 breeding lines) grown under management typical for silage production in the UK in 2022 and 2023. Other potentially pollinator‐friendly traits (inflorescence density, florets per inflorescence, floret length and nectar sugar production) were also measured to help determine which would be desirable to integrate into red clover breeding programmes. Accessions varied greatly, 50‐fold, in numbers of pollinators attracted per plot and varied significantly in all other traits examined. Only inflorescence density was significantly positively related to insect abundance and species richness. These results suggest that breeding and using red clover cultivars that produce more inflorescences can increase the value of red clover to pollinators. We note that data on insect visitation can be gathered easily and could be provided to farmers to help improve the value of red clover fields to pollinators.

Phenotypic Variation in Flower Color and Morphology in the Gerbera (Gerbera hybrida) F1 Hybrid Population and Their Association with EST-SSR Markers.

Gerbera (Gerbera hybrida) is a widely cultivated ornamental plant. However, its genetic improvement is limited by the lack of genetic analysis and molecular markers for traits. In this study, we analyzed the phenotypic and genotypic variation of 140 F1 progeny from two gerbera varieties with different flower types and colors. We evaluated the flower's morphology, color, and pigment content of the F1 population and performed cluster principal component analysis (PCA) and correlation analysis. The results showed that the main ornamental traits of the hybrid progeny varied greatly. The segregation ratios of single and double flowers and ligulate and split ray florets were both 1:1. The flower colors of the F1 progeny were mainly red and purple-red, similar to the male parent's color. Furthermore, we conducted a genetic analysis of the hybrid progeny using EST-SSR markers and performed association analysis with phenotypic traits. We identified 2, 2, 3, 1, and 2 loci to be associated with peduncle length (PL), ray floret length (RFL), and outer ray floret; the level of apex relative to the top of involucre (LAI); outer corolla lips (OCL); and the b* of ray floret color, respectively. Our results reveal the genetic patterns of important ornamental traits and provide a theoretical basis and practical tools for gerbera genetic breeding.

Mechanical Digestion of Broccoli through Chewing and its Impact on Myrosinase Activity

Myrosinase activity on broccoli glucosinolates has been widely and extensively discussed. Purpose: Studies on cruciferous vegetables, especially broccoli, have gained significance in the fight against cancer. Glucosinolates in broccoli transformation into sulforaphane occur after its exposure through chewing. However, the relationship between individual chewing patterns and denture morphology has not been studied extensively. Research on human digestion has demonstrated how the mechanical breakdown of larger food particles into smaller ones is a crucial precursor to chemical food breakdown. This study is a comparative analysis of how chewing on broccoli tissues by different individuals enables the enzyme myrosinase to break down broccoli glucosinolates chemically. We investigate the individual chewing patterns linked to the surface anatomy of the pre-molars and molars and the myrosinase activity on broccoli glucosinolates. Methods: Three individuals chewed a 4-millimeter broccoli floret four times sequentially (2 grams), and we measured the floret length at each bite until the sample was ground. Then, we combined the chewed broccoli with distilled water, filtered it, and myrosinase activity was measured using photo spectrometric measurements and an agar diffusion test. Individual pre-molars and molars samples were measured in millimetres. Results: Data from the three human chewing mechanisms compared to the mechanical breakdown performed by an automatic mixer shows different and individually specific values. Conclusion: Individual chewing patterns link to the unique surface anatomy of the pre-molars and molars, subsequently impacting the myrosinase activity on broccoli glucosinolates’ breakdown individually

Comparative Performance of Planting Materials and Standardization of Nutrient Requirement for High Yield, Quality and Early Spike Development in Tuberose (Agave amica Medik.) cv. Arka Prajwal

The study was carried out at Vegetable Research Station, TNAU, Palur, Tamil Nadu during 2021to2022. The experiment was laid out in Factorial Randomized Block Design (FRBD) with eight treatments and three replications. Planting materials used for the study were bulbs and bulblets. The eight nutrient combinations were tried with foliar application of micronutrient like zinc sulphate (0.2%), Ferrous sulphate (0.5%), Copper sulphate (0.4%) and Boric acid (0.2%) on 30, 60 and 90 DAP, individually and in combination with 25 t ha-1 FYM and recommended dose of fertilizer (200:200:200 kg ha-1 NPK). The control was maintained with RDF. Various biometric observations on growth and flowering attributes of tuberose were observed for all the treatments at different stages. The result of the present investigation revealed that among the interaction effects,B1N8[RDF + ALL 19 (NPK) + GA3@ 200 ppm (2 spray at 30 days intervals) + ZnSO4 (0.2%) + FeSO4 (0.5%) + H3BO3 (0.2 %) + CuSO4 (0.4 %)] recorded the highest plant height (95.12 cm), leaf length (51.85 cm), leaf width (2.4 cm), number of leaves per plants (42.67), rachis length (34.87cm), number of floret/spikes (46.66), flower duration (18.12 days), floret length (6.92 cm) and floret diameter (4.39cm) followed by the treatment B2N8 which recorded the highest height (90.44 cm), leaf length (48.48 cm), leaf width (2.2 cm), number of leaves per plants (39.78), rachis length (30.42 cm), number of floret/spikes (44.95), flower duration (19.93days), floret length (6.45cm) and floret diameter (4.21cm). From the interaction effect, the treatment combinationB2N1 [control (RDF) 200:200:200 NPK] recorded the lowest plant height (72.36 cm), leaf length (42.81 cm), leaf width (1.12 cm) and number of leaves per plants (43.00), rachis length (25.11cm), number of floret/spikes (37.00), flower duration (15.23days), floret length (5.04 cm) and floret diameter (3.02 cm).

Varietal Evaluation of Single Petalled Tuberose (Agave amica Medik.) Germplasm for the Growth and Flowering Attributes

The present experiment was to evaluate eight single petaled tuberose germplasm for growth and flowering attributes. All the tuberose germplasm showed a significant variation in the results. In vegetative parameters, the maximum plant height (79.3 cm) was observed in ‘Mexican Single’, while maximum leaf length (35.1 cm) and leaf width (3.4 cm) was observed in ‘Arka Keerthy’ and ‘Bidhan Rajani’, respectively, then high number of leaves seen in the germplasm ‘Mexican Single. In flowering parameters, ‘Nilakottai local” found superior in days taken for spike emergence (64.7 days), spike length (90.9 cm) and rachis length (31.4 cm) respectively. While, floret length (7.28 cm) and Single floret weight (1.57 g) was observed in ‘Bidhan Rajani’.

Study of Evaluation of Genetic Variability of Gladiolus Cultivars under Agro-climatic Conditions of Prayagraj, India

A field experiment was carried out to “Study of Evaluating Genetic Variability of Gladiolus (Gladilous grandiflorus L.) Cultivars Under Agro –Climatic conditions of Prayagraj” was conducted at the Departmental research field of Horticulture, Naini, Agriculture Institute during Rabi season of 2022-2023. The experiment involved 15 cultivars arranged in randomized block design with three replication. The analysis of the data showed that phenotypic coefficient of variation (PCV) was higher than genotypic coefficient of variation (GCV) for all characters studied, indicating that environmental factors had a significant influence on these characters. Several traits, including number of leaves at 30DAS, corm yield per plant, number of cormels per hectare, cormel diameter, number of corms per hectare, and number of corms per plant, exhibited high PCV and GCV. Furthermore, the study found high heritability coupled with high genetic advance as a percentage of the mean for traits such as the number of leaves at 30DAS, corm yield per plant, number of cormels per hectare, cormel diameter, number of corms per hectare, and number of corms per plant. This suggests that these traits are under strong genetic control and have the potential for effective selection and improvement. Moreover, positive and highly significant correlations were observed between corm yield per plant (in grams) and various other traits, including the number of leaves at 30DAS, 60DAS, and 90DAS, number of shoots per plant, days to first flowering, rachis length, number of florets per spike, number of spikes per plant, floret length, floret diameter, number of corms per plant, corm diameter, weight of corm, number of corms per hectare, and number of cormels per hectare. These correlations indicate that these traits have a strong influence on corm yield. Based on the study's results, genotypes Yellow stone, followed by Joshka, Pusa suhagan, and Arka Naveen, were identified as high spike and corm-yielding genotypes under the agro-climatic conditions of Prayagraj.Overall, the study highlights the significant impact of environmental factors on the observed traits and provides valuable insights into the selection of gladiolus genotypes with desirable characteristics for cultivation in the Prayagraj region.

Response of Foliar Application of GA3 and Paclobutrazol on Flowering and Vase Life of Tuberose (Polianthes tuberosa L.)

The present investigation “Response of foliar application of GA3 and paclobutrazol on flowering and vase life of Tuberose (Polianthes tuberosa L.)” was carried out was carried out in Horticulture Research Farm at the Department of Floriculture and Landscape Architecture, IGKV, Raipur, Chhattisgarh, India, 2017-18 and 2018-19. The experiment was laid out in Factorial Randomized Block Design with three replication comprising treatment combination of two PGRs (GA3 and Paclobutrazol) and two tuberose cultivars (Prajwal and Bidhan Ujjwal). Two PGR’s namely Gibberellins (GA3) and Paclobutrazol (PBZ) were taken as growth promoter and growth retardant, respectively. In this contest, an experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of different levels of growth promoter and retardant on growth, flowering and vase life of different cultivars of Tuberose. The result indicated that the vegetative growth, flowering and vase life were significantly influenced by different plant growth regulators and cultivars. The maximum plant height was recorded with cv. Prajwal (V1) as compared to cv. Bidhan Ujjwal (V2). While, minimum number days to first spike emergence (117.33 days), days to first flower opening (131.83 days) was recorded with cv. Bidhan Ujjwal. Among the growth regulators treatments GA3 150 ppm (30 and 50 DAP). However, maximum length of spike (94.72 cm), length of rachis (30.35 cm), length of florets (5.8 cm), diameter of florets (4.32 cm), Number of florets spike-1 (43.41) and Vase life (10.17 days) was recorded with cv. Prajwal. Among the growth regulators treatments GA3 150 ppm (30 and 50 DAP).

Phenotypic Characterization and Diversity Analysis of a Collection of Gladiolus Cultivars in India using Morpho-physiological Traits

Gladiolus is a beautiful ornamental geophyte valued for varieties with attractive florets and various colors. The genetic diversity of Gladiolus is tremendous due to species richness, outcrossing nature and heterozygosity. In the current study, phenotypic characterization and diversity assessment of 84 Indian and exotic-bred genotypes were investigated. Among different quantitative and qualitative traits, the coefficient of variation varied from 7.90% (androecium length) to 48.23% (chlorophyll ‘b’). All qualitative characteristics were polymorphic. In correlation analysis, 136 out of 253 pairwise inter-trait combinations revealed significant and positive correlations, although a significant and negative connection was found between the duration of flowering and the time of the beginning of flowering. Indirect selection for plant height, rachis length, and corm fresh weight may aid in the development of the linked traits. Principal component analysis revealed that six out of the 17 principal component axis had Eigen-values greater than one, accounting for 79.31% of the overall variability. The stable expression and better performance of Gladiolus genotypes for quantitative traits, such as plant height, length of the leaf blade, corm fresh weight, floret length, tepal length, and floret width would be useful in selection of superior offspring from hybridization. Cluster analysis divided whole germplasm into two major clusters: cluster I (29 genotypes) and cluster II (55 genotypes). Genotypes observed in subcluster Ia (08 genotypes) and subcluster IIc (13 genotypes) are relatively dissimilar from one another. Cultivar’ Victor’ is found to be relatively distinct among all genotypes because of taller plants, bigger corms, short flowering duration, and maximum corm fresh weight. Therefore, these set of genotypes can serve as a reference collection for DUS testing of novel varieties and genotype-specific information generated from this study can be useful for breeders to claim protection for their varieti

Prolonging Vase Life of Gladiolus (Gladiolus grandiflorus L.) var. Arka Amar with Various Preservative Solutions

Background: Arka Amar is a most popular variety of gladiolus which is used as cut flower and cut flowers are highly perishable materials and pregnable to large post-harvest losses. There is an immense post-harvest losses in value of cut flowers which is seen all along the marketing channels and it can be up to 40-50%. So, an experiment was carried out to find out the best combination of preservative solutions to enhance the vase life of Gladiolus (Gladiolus grandiflorus L.) var. Arka Amar. Methods: In this laboratory study during March 2022 to April 2022, different preservative solutions were analyzed to find out the maximum longevity of spikes. The experiment was laid out in C.R.D. with nine different combinations of sucrose, Al2 (SO4)3, AgNO3 and citric acid including control (distilled water). Result: The study revealed that the treatment T9 (Sucrose 2% + AgNO3 50ppm + citric acid 100 ppm) increased the percentage of water uptake both in weight and volume basis, minimize the days taken for opening of 1st floret (4.83 days), increase the length (7.41 cm) and diameter (13 cm) of floret, increase the percentage of opening of florets/spike (96.92%), maximize the longevity of floret (22 days) and flowering duration of spike (14.66 days). Visual scoring on appearance (8.71) and freshness (8.93) were also found significant for the above treatment combination.