Indian Agricultural Resources - Horticulture

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Ag.
Technologies
(Horticulture)

Chrysanthemum
Chrysanthemums are next to roses in popularity and have been in cultivation for
more than 2,500 years.
more info...

Greenhouse production technology for important flowers

Rose
Normally one-year-old budded plants having at least 3 canes on rockstocks like
Rosa indica var. odorata or R.canina or R.manetti are most ideal for greenhouse
cultivation.
Cultivars: `Golden Gates, `Grand Galla, `First Red, `Kiss, `Konfetti, `
Mercedez, `Ravel, `Noblesse, `Vivaldi and `Starlite.
Planting: Optimal planting time is October-December. The planting density
should be between 7-13 plants/m2 (50-60 thousand bushes/ha area). Planting
should be done preferably in 2-row system.
Temperature requirement: The greenhouse temperature is generally
maintained from 200C or 210 C on cloudy days and 240 C 280C on sunny days.
However, the temperature range of 15-270 C is optimum.
Fertiliser dose: Liquid fertilizers containing 200 ppm nitrogen and 150 ppm
potassium plus iron and magnesium as needed, can be applied with good results
in a wide range of soil conditions. Binding of unproductive shoots leads to more
number of basal sprouts.
Harvesting and yield:
Red and pink cultivars are harvested when first 2 petals are beginning to unfold
and calyx is reflexed below the horizontal lane.
Yellow cultivars are harvested slightly earlier and white cultivars slightly later
than red and pink types.
After cutting the stem ends are dipped in 200-500 ppm citric acid or aluminium
sulphate and placed in cold storage at 10 C till grading. Stem ends are recut,
bunched in 20s and placed in preservative solution with sucrose up to 2%.
Flower yield of 250-350 stems/m2 is considered to be ideal.
Flower yield can be increased by spraying BAP 50-100 ppm before flowering
flush. Burning of saw-dust during winter months in the morning hours (7-10 AM)
increases flower yield and quality significantly.
Carnation
Perpetual carnations (Dianthus caryophyllyus)
Cultivars: Among standard type cultivars, Master, Tanga, Sonsara, Laurella,
Solar, Dakar, Raggio di Sole, Cabaret and Isac are most promising, while Bagatel,
Cherrybag, Fantasia, Picaro, Ondelia, Sintonia and Macarena are spray types.

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Temperature requirement: temperature is maintained at 20-25 0 C.

Planting: Plant density of 20-30 plants/m2 is optimal (1.5 2.0 lakh/ha).Can be
planted round the year under greenhouse environment.
Fertilizer dose: A nutritional dose of 40 g N, 20 g P2O5 and 10g K2 O is ideal.
Liquid feeding of carnation plants with nutrient levels of 190 ppm N and 156 ppm
K, and 1 ppm B with each irrigation water results in high grade carnation.
Overhead sprinkling is quite effective and economical than soil surface irrigation.
At bud appearance stage, over-head sprinklers should be replaced with soil
surface system.
Practices followed: Pinching, disbudding and deshooting are important practices
followed in the standard carnations. Pinching should generally be done by leaving
5-6 nodes on the plant. In case of standard type, terminal buds are retained and
all auxiliary buds are removed and vice-versa in spray type. Plants need support
[2-3 layers of nylon mesh (10x10 cm size)] when 45 cm in height. After pinching,
spraying BAP (100 ppm) increases production.
Harvesting and yield: Standard carnations are harvested at paint brush stage
and sprays when 2-3 upper flowers in the inflorescence are open and remainders
showing colour. The flowers after harvest should be pulsed with 10% sugar + 4
mM STS for 10-12 hr and at 2-4 0 C. The flowers are kept in sugar 2% + 0.5 mM
STS for prolonging vase-life.
Yearly production of 300-400 flower/m2 is ideal and economical.
Lilies
Lilies, especially Asiatic and Oriental types are most fascinating, in international
floriculture trade.
Cultivars: Connecticut King, Gran Paradiso, Elite, Pollyanna, Prato and Solemio
among Asiatics, while Star Gazer, Marco Polo and Casablanca in case of Orientals
are highly promising. Easter lily (Lilium longiflorium) var. Osant (white) is also
grown under polyhouses.
Forcing: Forcing lily flower for normal durations, the bulbs require cold
treatment at 2-40 C for 6 weeks in case of Asiatic hybrids and 8 weeks for the
Oriental ones. It is possible to use "frozen-in" bulbs which are kept at 10C after
pre-cooling treatment for off-season flowering. A night temperature of 16 0C with
a day temperature below 21 0C inside the greenhouse is recommended for
forcing.
Planting: The best time of planting hybrid lilies under north Indian climate is
from mid-September to mid-December. Planting density depends on cultivar, bulb
size and time of the year, with a range of 25-60 bulbs/m2 .
Light requirement: Light is very important factor for lily culture. High light
intensity in summer reduces the stem length and therefore 50% shade nets are
recommended to cover the crop. Low light intensity in winter leads to flower
abortion and abscission. Supplementary lighting during winter increases yield,
stem sturdiness and quality of flowers.
Plants require liquid feeding or use of controlled released fertilizers. Supporting
plants with nylon mesh is advisable.
Harvesting and yield: Asiatic hybrids take 8-10 weeks, while Orientals 14-16

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weeks from planting to harvesting, but `frozen in (Eskimo) takes less time The
blooms are cut when the lower most flower bud is fully coloured but not open. Cut
lilies could efficiently be started both dry (sealed in plastic bags) or wet (1/10
portion in 25 ppm silver nitrate) at 10C cold storage temperature up to 4-6 weeks
provided they are pulsed with 0.2 mM STS + 10% sucrose for 24 hr.
Chrysanthemum
Chrysanthemum is a very popular flower crop of commercial importance.
Chrysanthemums are grown in 2 ways for cut flowers, depending upon market
demand.
Disbudded inflorescence: All flower buds except terminal ones are removed to
allow one inflorescence/stem to develop. If the bloom is an incurved or reflexed
type and in between 10 and 15 cm in diameter, is usually referred as standard.
Spray inflorescence: The entire cyme is allowed to bloom but very often the
central inflorescence (oldest) is removed at the time colour begins to show in the
ray flowers. These groups are usually known as pompon or spray
chrysanthemums.
Light and temperature requirement: Chrysanthemum is primarily a typical
short day plant and normally cannot form flower buds when day length exceeds
14 1/2 hr. Light and temperature are important environmental factors influencing
growth and development. Chrysanthemums are broadly classified into 3 groups
on the basis of their response to temperature. Thermozero varieties flower at any
temperature ranging 10-270 C but most consistently at a constant 160 C night
temperature. Thermopositive varieties require higher temperature (270 C) for bud
initiation and lower temperature inhibit completely. Thermonegative varieties
flower at any temperature between 10 and 270 C, but flowering is delayed at
higher temperature.
Cultivars: Selection of cultivars is very important while doing greenhouse
cultivation. Spiders are preferred in the Netherlands and Germany while single
spray types in Denmark, Sweden and Finland, UK and Japan prefer decorative
types of mums.
Most promising cultivars in the international trade are Snow Ball, Snow Don
White, Mountaineer, Sonar Bangla, Bright Golden Anne, and Chandrama among
large flowering types while Ajay, Birbal Sahani, Lehmans, Nanako, and Sonali
Tara in case of small flowering types as sprays are most common.
Planting: July-August is ideal time of planting chrysanthemum in north India.
However, if controlled photroperiod facilities are available planting can be done
round the year.
Planting density varieties from 32 to 56 plants/m2 .
Practices: Pinching and disbudding are most important cultural practices for the
production of quality blooms. Growth regulator spraying of B-9 (Alar) or Cycocel
2-3 blooms of good quality.
Harvesting: Standard types are generally harvested when outer ray florets
cease to elongate, while decorative when petals in the centre of topmost flower
are fully developed. Single and anemones are harvested when flower is fully
developed.
Gerbera
Cultivars: Jaffa, Sangria, Rosula, Oprab, Romona, Salina, Tecora and Starlight.

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Planting: Planting medium should be adequately porous and well-drained. The

optimum planting, density recommended for large flowering cultivars is 8-10
plants/m2. Two row or 4-row planting systems are generally used. Planting can
be done round-the-year but preferably during September-October. The plants
should be left undisturbed for 2 years for flower production (no separation of
clumps). Treating plants with GA3 (100 ppm) results in early flowering having
long stems.
Temperature requirement: The temperature during day time should be
16-200 C and 120 C during nights.
Harvesting and yield: The harvesting stage is critical as the flowers should not
be cut before the outer row of flowers show pollen, or the flowers will wilt and
close at night. Optimum storage temperature (wet) for gerbera is 40 C. The
flowers could be stored efficiently up to 4 weeks. Most modern cultivars of
gerbera yield 250-300 good quality flowers/m2 /year.

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