The Journal of Research ANGRAU

Research Notes
J.Res. ANGRAU 41(1) 114-115, 2013
INFLUENCE OF METHODS OF IRRIGATION ON PLANT GROWTH, YIELD,
FLOWER QUALITY AND VASE LIFE IN DENDROBIUM ORCHID HYBRID
SONIA-17 UNDER SHADE NET
B. GOPALA RAO, P.T. SRINIVAS and M.H.NAIK
Department of Horticulture, Sri Venkateswara Agricultural College,
Acharya N.G. Ranga Agril. University, Tirupati-517502
Date of Receipt : 26.07.2012 Date of Acceptance : 27.09.2012
Dendrobium is the biggest genera in the
Orchidaceae family and commands a major share
in foreign exchange. It is a water loving plant and
needs irrigation every day. Crops, in the absence of
definite recommendation are irrigated with different
methods which have definite effects on the growth,
development and performance. In such situation
standardization of method of irrigation is necessary
in realising the highest benefit of irrigation and save
both cost and water. In view of this, the present
investigation was under taken to study the effect of
method of irrigation on vegetative and floral
characteristics and longevity of Dendrobium hybrid
Sonia-17.
The experiment was conducted at orchid
farm, Nathanallur village, Kancheepuram district,
Tamil Nadu during the year 2006. There were four
treatments replicated five times in a completely
randomized block design. The Dendrobium hybrid
Sonia-17 owing to its superiority for yield and quality
was used for the study. The following are the
treatment details: T1: Mist irrigation, T2: Drip
irrigation, T3: Hose irrigation, T4: Hand watering
(control). Observations on various parameters like
plant height, number of leaves per plant, number of
shoots per plant, and number of spikes per plant,
length of spike, number of florets per spike, floret
pedicel length, longevity of spike on the plant and in
the tap water (vase life) were recorded at 180 and
195 days after planting respectively.
Among the four methods of irrigation
included, plants grown under mist recorded maximum
height (50.34 cm). Mist increases the humidity in
the green house, thus it retains mist in both container
and growing media which might enhanced the plant
height (Table 1). Misting increased plant growth and
yield by decreasing the canopy temperature and
increasing the relative humidity (Stalmakh et al.,
1986),whereas lowest height of plants was recorded
in hand watering (37.96 cm) which is on par with hose
irrigation (38.68 cm),other growth parameters like
number of leaves per plant (11.09), number of shoots
per plant (6.63) were maximum in mist irrigated
plants, whereas minimum in hand watering
(8.84),(5.19). Gislerod and Nelson (1989) and Gislerod
and Mortenson (1990) obtained similar results in
Chrysanthemum and Begonia.
Floral characters such as number of spikes
per plant (2.91), length of spike (38.84 cm), number
of florets per spike (9.99) and floret pedicel length
(4.31 cm) were maximum under mist (Table 1), while
hand watering recorded minimum number of spikes
per plant (2.28),spike length (28.30 cm), number of
florets per spike (5.43) and length of floret pedicel
(3.58 cm), this might be due to increase in production
source (leaves) and nutrients which might have helped
in better synthesis of carbohydrates. Number of
flowers and flower buds significantly increased with
relative humidity in Saintpaulia (Mortensen., 1986).
Longevity of flower spike on the plant was
the highest under mist irrigation (94 days), whereas
the lowest under hand watering (76 days). Vase life
of flower spike in tap water was maximum from mist
irrigated plants (21 days) and hand watered plants
(control) recorded minimum vase life (18 days)
(Fig 1). Nair and Sujatha (2004) stated that orchids
require 60-80 per cent humidity to perform their best
bloom.
Hence, based on the above results, mist
irrigation under shade net is ideal for successful
production of growth and blooms in the Orchid.
email: gopal_hort@yahoo.co.in
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