Impact of micronutrient application on growth and flowering of Dendrobium hybrid -‘Airy white’ in the Terai region of West Bengal

Author: Chandra Kala Rai, Indrajit Sarkar, Soumen Maitra, Arpita Mandal Khan, Dibyendu Mukhopadhyay and Ashok Choudhury

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Abstract

Dendrobium is a well-known tropical epiphytic orchid and one of the largest genera in the Orchidaceae family. It is grown professionally for the purpose of producing cut flowers. Recently, Dendrobium is gaining popularity as a potted plant for attractive foliage as well as flowers in hotels and restaurants for interior landscaping. Also stated that in orchids, growth, development and production were significantly influenced by micronutrients. Due to their significant nutritional support and ability to guarantee a greater harvest and return, micronutrients are steadily gaining popularity among flower growers. There are some challenges when studying orchid nutrition, including slow growth consistent with low nutritional demands and a lower response to additional nutrients compared to plants with rapid development such as annual crops. Another problem is that there are few studies on the interactions of nutrients and their perfect balance in this plant. Therefore, an experiment was carried out on the Dendrobium hybrid during the year 2019 to 2021 in the Instructional Farm of Floriculture, Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, UBKV, Pundibari, Coochbehar, West Bengal, India under medium cost polyhouse. The experiment was laid out in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) which was replicated thrice having 13 treatments. The major nutrients namely NPK (19:19:19) @ 2g/l (foliar spray) at vegetative stage and NPK (0:52:34) from mono-potassium phosphate @ 1g/l at the flowering stage were sprayed at 7 days interval for all treatments. Micronutrients like Ca@ 500mg/l and 1000mg/l, Mg@ 50mg/l and 100mg/l, Fe@250mg/l and 500mg/l, Zn@ 250mg/l and 500mg/l, Cu@ 100mg/l and 200mg/l, as well as B@ 750mg/l and 150mg/l, were sprayed along with NPK at fortnightly interval as per the treatment except for control where only NPK was applied. The vegetative growth trend at the monthly interval was analysed using a completely randomized design (CRD). To observe the effect of nutrients in the year of cultivation, the data was analysed by using Factorial CRD in which years of cultivation (Y) and different treatments (T) were taken as factors. According to the findings, it was found that the treatment T2 [NPK + Ca (500 mg/l)] resulted in the maximum plant height (cm) in all the recorded months. The interval of leaf production (days) was minimum when treated with NPK + Ca @500 mg/l (T2). The maximum leaf length (cm) and breadth (cm) were found when the Dendrobium hybrid plants were sprayed with NPK + Zn @250 mg/l (T8). The minimum days taken for the first flowering after planting was also observed in the treatment T8[NPK + Zn (250 mg/l)]. For proper vegetative growth of Dendrobium, application of NPK (19:19:19) @ 2g/l at the vegetative stage once a week and NPK (0:52:34) from mono-potassium phosphate @ 1g/l at the flowering stage once a week along with Zn @ 250mg/l as spray may be recommended for cultivation under protected condition.

Keywords

Dendrobium hybrid, plant nutrients, micronutrients, spraying

Conclusion

From this experiment, it might be concluded that under the environmental conditions of Cooch Behar, West Bengal, India, Calcium in the form of calcium sulphate (500 mg/l) and Zinc in the form of zinc sulphate (250 mg/l) applied as a foliar spray at an interval of 15 days along with NPK (19:19:19) @ 2g/l at the vegetative stage once in a week and (0:52:34) from mono-potassium phosphate @ 1g/l at the flowering stage once in a week is suitable for improving vegetative attributes and initiation of flowering of Dendrobium hybrid orchid. The standard as well as balanced nutrients including macro and micronutrient application enhance proper growth and development; as a result, it can increase the return of the farming communities who are engaged with the production of Dendrobium hybrid orchids. Further, the experiment can be carried out to observe the effect of nutrients on Dendrobium hybrid Airy White over its commercial production continuing up to 8 years from planting and also experiments can be carried out to see the effect of the interaction of different micronutrients on Dendrobium hybrid Airy White.

References

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How to cite this article

Chandra Kala Rai, Indrajit Sarkar, Soumen Maitra, Arpita Mandal Khan, Dibyendu Mukhopadhyay and Ashok Choudhury (2023). Impact of micronutrient application on growth and flowering of Dendrobium hybrid -‘Airy white’ in the Terai region of West Bengal. Biological Forum – An International Journal, 15(5): 811-819.