l Floriculture Today May 2017
May 2017
Floriculture Today l
l Floriculture Today May 2017
May 2017
Floriculture Today l
Contents 8
Editorial
v Cover Story 10 NEPAL’S VICE PRESIDENT INAUGURATES
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Focus on Clean Environment’s Economic Prosperity through Floriculture
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v Interview 16 “Creating More Awareness Towards Agriculture in Nepal Is Our Aim” v Landscaping 20 Designing Your Outdoor Landscaping Lighting v Gardening 26 A Beautiful Gift of Nature to The Garden Lover: Kniphofia spp. — Mamta Bohra, Yogendra Singh Adhikari and Parul Punetha 30 Hanging Basket An Additional Beauty to the Garden — Atul Batra and R.S.Katiyar
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32 Climbers for Creating Scenic Beauty in Gardens — R. K. Roy & Ankita Tiwari
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v Industry Outlook 38 Challenges in Indian Floriculture Industry — Balasaheb Gadekar, Hemant Jagtap 42 Challenges in Transportation of Hazardous Materials — Viejay Bhatia (Director), AVA Chemicals Pvt Ltd
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v News 42 Air-purifying Plants A Hit At Gurugram Flower Festival Stalls with medicinal, vastu plants receive many queries too 44 ITI Holder Creates Wonders in Polyhouse Farming 45 Royal Floraholland Trades 12.5 Billion Flowers and Plants in 2016 46 Israeli Irrigation Project Increases Projection in India 46 Large Microirrigation Project for Jain 46 Indian Agrochemical Market Set to Go Up
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www.floriculturetoday.in
Chief Editor: S Jafar Naqvi Consulting Editor T.V. Satyanarayanan Sub-Editor Sudeepa Ghosh Chief Coordinator: M.B. Naqvi Editorial Coordinator: Syed M K
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l Floriculture Today May 2017
A
Edit orial
lthough in terms of size, Nepal is considered a small country, its wide variety of geographical and climatic features offer vast potential for floriculture development. Look at its vast scope to develop flower business! Each of its regions has unique climatic features to suit flower production. The Terai region has is ideal for growing ornamental plants and cut flowers like roses and Gladdon iris early on; the Katmandu valley has April to December suitable to grow a variety of flowers; the hills are the best for growing five to seven varieties of Rhododendron, for which Nepal is so famous. That the floral wealth of Nepal can contribute to strengthen its economy and augment growers’ income was demonstrated at the 3 rd International Flora Expo held recently in Katmandu with the focus on “Clean environment and economic prosperity through floriculture.” True, Nepal has a long way to go to develop its floriculture and to realize the goal of making it the backbone of the economy. However, there is no doubt that floriculture development in Nepal is on the right track, and flower production is growing at a healthy annual rate of 20-25 per cent, to quote the figures available with the Floriculture Association of Nepal (FAN), which has brought together people involved in floriculture business. Rising domestic production is leading to reduced quantum of flower imports into the country. Loknath Gaire, President of FAN points out the country imports roses from India for Valentine’s Day and marigold for Tihar festival, but , by and large, the requirements of other types of flowers are met by domestic production. Nepal also exports cut flowers, mainly roses, to Japan, Gladdon Iris to Qatar and Dubai, flower bulbs to European countries and cymbidium orchids to India. The data base of Nepal’s floriculture is yet to be built on sound lines. For the first time, the status of floriculture in the country was unveiled last year by the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), which came out with a commercial floriculture survey 2014-15. The survey, the first authentic data base of domestic floriculture industry in the country, could act as a base for researchers who plan to carry out further studies on this sector, opines Nebin Lal Shrestha, deputy DG of CBS. The survey report shows that Nepal has only 561 farmers engaged in floriculture on a commercial scale. Commercial floriculture is done in 36 districts over 147.4 hectares of land, While Katmandu leads in commercial flower production, Lalitpur, Morang, Bhaktapur and Kaski are the other top districts where commercial floriculture is thriving. Mostly engaged in commercial farming of flowers in the country is Tamang tribe, followed by Chhetri and Newar tribes. It is significant to note that 29 per cent of owners of flower farms are women. According to CBS report, domestic floriculture industry is contributing Rs 450 million annually on an average to the country’s GDP. The survey revealed that 26 per cent of the farmers were running their floriculture business by taking loan and 61percent of the farmers had taken land on lease. Farmers have suggested that government should arrange subsidized loan to promote this sector. Organization of technical training and extension of irrigation facilities, besides price fixation of flowers are other suggestions from the growers. According to Arun Chhetri, former president of FAN, major problems faced in this sector are lack of capital for investment, where government and banks can help, and lack of technical manpower. The growers also need inputs subsidy to enable them to compete effectively with neighbouring flower exporting countries. Comments are welcome at: editorialmtpl@gmail.com
Views expressed by individuals and contributors in the magazine are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Floriculture Today editorial board. Floriculture Today does not accept any responsibility of any direct, indirect or consequential damage caused to any party due to views expressed by any one or more persons in the trade. All disputes are to be referred to Delhi Jurisdiction only. .....Editor
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Cover Story
NEPAL’S VICE PRESIDENT INAUGURATES Focus on Clean Environment’s Economic Prosperity through Floriculture
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epal’s Vice President Nanda Bahadur Pun Pasang declared open in Katmandu’s tastefully decorated Bhrikutimandap Exhibition Hall -- The 3rd International Flora Expo 2017 that sought to provide a common platform to the growing number of flower growers, traders and customers. Organized by Floriculture Association of Nepal (FAN), the four-day expo appropriately chose to have as its theme “Clean Environment & Economic Prosperity through Floriculture”. The event that concluded in April 2 had
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altogether 99 stalls, of which 28 stalls were occupied by foreign florists. Supporting the expo was the Ministry of Agriculture. Florists and Entrepreneurs from India, China, South Korea, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka were prominent participants. A unique event of its kind held in Nepal in terms of its size and content, the expo was both a B2B and a B2C event. It showcased seasonal flowers, decorative plants, dry flowers, orchids, compost manure, greenhouse, agricultural tools and equipment, packing materials and irrigation technology. While it serves the
launch of new brands and display of a wide collection of floriculture products were a big hit with the consumer segments, the expos’ business section. Floriculture Association Nepal Flora Expo was started in 1994, with the aim to promote, develop and highlight floriculture business in Nepal. Through these four years it has attempted to create awareness about the use of flowers and ornamental plants across the country. Every year, it brings together the Nepalese floriculture industry at
Cover Story
one place and creates interest among the producers, suppliers, marketers, exporters and other stakeholders. The participation if international companies help in introducing new products & services. Through this event, FAN has established itself as the undisputed lead organization working towards the development of floriculture in Nepal. FAN has regularly been organizing many conferences, seminars and fairs to promote the floriculture industry of Nepal. It consistently works t ensure the well being and growth of the people associated with the industry. The Association collectively works to improve the floriculture industry of Nepal with each passing day. The main thrust of FAN is to improve and develop novel infrastructure through mechanization of farms, encourage investments, work towards the better availability and allocation of government
funds and subsidies. Through these moves, the Association aims to minimize the import of plants and planting materials
Demand for flowers has been increasing at the rate of 12 to 15 per cent annually. Sales mainly go up during wedding seasons and Tihar festival. Currently there are 675 commercial nurseries in 39 districts. Kathmandu, Pokhara, Narayanghat, Hetauda, Kavrepalanchok, Biratnagar, Dharan and Dhangadhi are the key producers of flowers
so that Nepal can progress towards being self-sufficient in this industry. Resourcefulness FAN hit upon the idea of holding the expo series because of the consistent growth of flower business in the country. Seasonal flowers valued at Rs. 250 million are sold annually in the country. Likewise, annual sales of decorative plants and cut flowers amount to Rs. 461 million and Rs. 247 million, respectively. The flower trade has an annual turnover of Rs. 1.5 billion. Imports account for 20 percent of the total business. Demand for flowers has been increasing at the rate of 12 to 15 percent annually. Sales mainly go up during wedding seasons and Tihar festival. Currently there are 675 commercial nurseries in 39 districts. Kathmandu, Pokhara, Narayanghat, Hetauda, Kavrepalanchok, Biratnagar, Dharan and Dhangadhi are
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Cover Story
the key producers of flowers. Flowers are grown on 148 hectares, and more than 41,000 people are employed directly and indirectly in the sector. The FAN has set a target of making Nepal self-sustainable in flower production in the next 10 years. The Event After the inauguration, Min Bahadur Tamang, General Secretary, FAN in his address welcomed the delegates. Distinguished guests included Agricultural Development Minister Gauri Shankar Chaudhary, Radhika Tamang, State Agricultural Development Minister, Pashupati Murarka, President,
FNCCI, Dr. Shuroj Pokhel, Secretary, Agricultural Development Ministry, Dilip Bade, Senior Vice President, FAN & Fair Organizer and Kumar K. Shrestha, President, Floriculture Association Nepal (FAN). There was a floriculture competition with prize distribution in the following manner: v Best Stall - Kahdka Nursery v Best Landscape - Sibpuri Nursery v Best Seasonal Flower - Ajima Nursery v Best Ornamental Plant - Indrani Flora Farm v Best Flowering Plant - Shrijana Flower Nursery v Best Flower Arrangement - Design Flower Sap v Best Cut Flower - Rose from Flora Friends Pvt. Ltd., Carnation from Nav Sewa Nursery, Glad from Indrani Flora Farm, Gerbera from Unique Flora Farm. The award winners were awarded with value certificates, shields
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and cash prizes as a token of appreciation. The exhibition was useful for the visitors to go into the floriculture business and for flower lovers who are passionate about gardening. People found new floriculture technologies at the exhibition. Media Today Group, Malhotra Flowers, Chemtex Specialty Limited, Agriplast India Pvt. Ltd, Kimya Biotech Pvt. Ltd., Harsdeep Agro Products, Falcon Garden Tools (P) Ltd. and Rajdeep Agri Products etc. participated from India. The expo witnessed the transaction of around Rs. 916,000 on the first day and Rs. 1.61 million and Rs. 2.57 million respectively, on the consecutive days. According to the expo coordinator and FAN senior vice - resident Dilip Bade, around 12,500 people visited the expo on the first day following 14,950 and 12,600 visitors on second and third days respectively. FAN estimated that on the concluding day the number of visitors would cross well over a million. Domestic florists showcased over 450 types of seasonal flowers and cut flowers in the event. Similarly, exhibitors also put on display agriculture equipments and technologies, seeds, dry flowers and fertilizers, among others. The four - day International Flora Expo 2017 grossed over Rs. 7.1 million in business transactions. The expo was attended by over 66,000 visitors.
Cover Story
“The turnout and turnover were as per our expectation,� said Kumar Kasaju Shrestha, President, FAN. He added that they were happy with expo providing a proper platform to promote floriculture business in the country. Unlike in the previous years, the
floriculture expo this year saw bigger number of buyers of flowers, plants and orchids assigned JB Tamang, Programme Coordinator, FAN. In all, the expo concluded in focusing on the growth of the market of its members like the producers, wholesalers
and retailers using the tools and latest technologies. It also emphasized on improving the quality of the products thus helping the floricultural sector to be an export oriented industry in Nepal. n
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Interview
“Creating more awareness towards agriculture in Nepal is our aim” Khoj Raj Katuwal, the Managing Director of Nepal Thopa Sinchai Pvt. Ltd., is the secretary of Nepal Krishi Machinery Association, which aims at making Nepal more self-sufficient in Agriculture. Nepal Thopa Sinchai is a pioneering name in the field of complete irrigation package in Nepal and has been working together since last five years to demonstrate and supply economical tools and technologies for commercial agriculture. It is now delivering its services all over the country. Floriculture Today had a chat with him on various aspects of agriculture development in Nepal. Excerpts: —Khoj Raj Katuwal, MD Nepal Thopa Sinchai Pvt. Ltd.
How long you are in to this business? I have been working since 2010, i.e., seven years have conceded. Which product’s distributorship you have from India or China? Till now, whatever work has been done is 100% from India. No import has taken place from China. At first, I started business in irrigation. I am the sole distributor of Jain Irrigation in Nepal. I also worked in greenhouse, solar lifts, Cocopeat, nursery trees pots business. What is the situation of market in Nepal? In comparison with the market seven years earlier and the Nepal market today, no other sector have gone so much in the field that agriculture sector has reached. Is there any government approved policies? No. When I entered in the sector there was no government policy. Any farmer who wanted to do farming was using their own money. Now, government has implemented a fruitful scheme that Nepal Government will provide hundred billion budget for the Agriculture sector for the increasing the agriculture production of Nepal. Does this all come under any Department or it is a direct - monetary relation? Earlier, Subsidy was Quota based so
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government was allotting according to Quota. If you require then to take it otherwise leave it. But now the subsidy regulation system changed itself to demand based. As per the requirement of the farmer, government will provide the services. Farmer will give a proposal of his need, and it will be given to him. How the subsidy is given? Is it on any particular product or on the farming? Because, of the demand based system, the agricultural needs are fulfilled acquiring 50 - 85 per cent. What is the process either through party or any other medium as you are a distributor here? When a farmer wants to start farming, there are many things required by him. It can be tractors, greenhouse, drip irrigation, types of tray, cocopeat, seeds etc. All these things should be submitted in written to be provided by the government. There is no sensor in the government to differentiate the needs of the farmers. Whatever be the requirement farmers are given without any hesitation, just the registration of the farmers is compulsory. This distribution comes under which department? For this, a separate department is approved - Pradhan Mantri Krishi Aadhunik Pariyojana. This is a direct funding from the Pradhan Mantri
Interview fund; therefore, it is from the Nepal government’s Budget only. How much budget is approved? According to me, it is a 10-year program launched this year only. This year no productive result is marked because of the just initiation of the program. Coming year will be profitable as well as industrious for everyone. What is the future of agriculture in Nepal? It is very good. There are many opportunities to be explored for Nepal. Are you engaged in exports also? Some products are exported. For e.g. great amount of ginger and herbs are exported to India. Yarshagumba is also exported almost all over the world. There are so many opportunities for agriculture in Nepal as for doing agriculture there is a need of lot of money in other regions. The climate condition of Nepal is god gift. It is original. There is the possibility of every type of climate required for different type of production. Nepal already possesses god’s gift, so there is no such large production cost that comes in India, Arab, and Israel. Every place has its own specialty and due to it we can use different technologies for production purpose. To the degree, India has lower production in the summers leading to increase of rate of vegetables. Nepal can supply produce to India for 3 months, in response India can supply us for the rest 9 months. If we buy produce from India for 9 months, and
then supply them for 3 months we can take back our money to Nepal and in the same manner India can too. From where you got inspiration for this agricultural Business? I was in foreign regions since 13 years working in agriculture sector, especially Israel. I started working in a greenhouse and from there I got the idea of farming. Through this I believed that it is not a heavy job that it seemed whereas it can be done effortlessly but the world scenario is something else. Which company’s distributorship is with you? We are in business - relation between 2 companies’ .i.e. Jain Irrigation and other is Sterling Farm. Cocopeat of Sterling Farm is being distributed over Nepal through my firm. Currently, we are in the talks with Harshdeep. As the demand will increase in Nepal, there will be more growing opportunities to work further. I have dealerships from all over the Nepal, so we can work without any setback. From 7 years we are doing all the hard work for this significant position only. We have technicians also so that we can be the complete - service provider to the farmers. We reach to each and every farmer to install whole drips, sprinkler, fogger, solar, greenhouse systems.
We also give demo to the customers. The way we provide the service to the farmers makes the reason for such growth and success of our firm. What are your future plans? Future plans on present, is to make agriculture more self-sufficient in Nepal, to create more awareness towards agriculture. The need of the hour is to promote the scheme implemented by the government to all the farmers. We also run an association - Nepal Krishi Machinery Association. I am the Secretary of this association. Every year or between the intervals of two years, we organize exhibitions. We invite international delegates to the exhibition. Just two months ago, we had a successful exhibition. According to this, agriculture of Nepal is on its way of success. How many members are there in the Association? In the association, there are 13 executive members. In total, the machinery agricultural farmers doing the business are above 150. n
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Landscaping
Designing Your Outdoor Landscaping Lighting
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esigning your landscape lighting always starts with considering how you intend to use the space. Do you like to entertain and need good lighting on pathways, patios and decks? Do the kids want to play soccer on the lawn after dusk? Or do you simply want to enjoy a beautiful view as you drive up to your home each evening? Here, landscape contractors share their pro tips for designing with lights. Outdoor lighting isn’t just about safety and security. There’s no reason that the curb appeal of your home should be limited to the daytime. The tree you’ve loved, the garden you’ve worked hard to cultivate, the pond you bought with your hard-earned money, and all the other landscape features you’ve painstakingly chosen for your home can achieve some of their best effects at night with good outdoor landscape lighting. Layout Considerations In addition to thinking about how you plan to use the space, there are layout considerations as well. Lights can help you safely travel down a pathway, but they can also provide a gorgeous view. They allow you to enjoy your landscaping even
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after dark. The design elements of your layout are as important as the function of your layout. Essentials: v Views from indoors – you must look out of every window in the house to make sure our design is integrating the lighting with the landscape. A beautiful scene must be captured from every window. v Focus points – Choose one or two elements in each area to draw attention to make it a great focal point when lit from below. Think about what will have the best shadow effect. v Sense of depth – Use some lights along pathways, some on the house, and some within landscaped beds to provide a sense of depth in the landscape. v Ambient vs. Spotlighting – Ambient lighting creates atmosphere by gently lighting an entire area, while spotlighting draws strong attention to a particular feature. Use both broad focused beams within the landscape. Lighting Strategies There are three main ways you can
aim lights to get a particular result in the landscape. v Down-lighting creates diffuse, gentle light, aiming downward, usually from a tree. It could give you a sense of full moon every night, wouldn’t you want to do that? Moonlight is romantic and great for conversation. v Up-lighting is all about the drama of bold shadows and strong effects. By aiming the lights upwards into a tree or onto an architectural feature, you emphasize the contract of dark shadows with bright light. v Cross-lighting is considered when you eliminate shadows by lighting a focal point from both sides. You can even light up the entire canopy of a tree this way. What Areas Should You Light? There are many benefits of landscape lighting, it helps improve safety and security of your home and adds functionality and beauty. Here are the most common areas to light: v Pathways are important both for safety and for beauty, but you don’t always need to use path lights right along the side. Mix directional path
Landscaping
lights with ambient lighting within the landscaped bed for a more natural look. v Patios are where we spend time with family and have conversations, so diffuse downlighting from above gets that moonlit effect without blinding people. v Trees are an ideal choice for uplighting or cross-lighting. When there’s a unique branch structure or coloured bark, it makes an ideal focal point. You can also create downlighting effects by placing lights within tree branches and pointing them downwards at a patio or garden bed. v Water features can be lit as well. While we don’t think of electricity and water as natural partners, in fact many landscape lights are meant for
underwater use. Example, Nestle lights in between rocks so that you can see the effect of the light without seeing the fixtures. v Architectural elements on the home can also be lit to great effect. If you have a tree worth thousands and a home worth multi lakhs, why would you focus only on the tree? Light up pillars, stacked stone, or other architectural features. v Driveways don’t need a lot of lights, as most people using a driveway will have their headlights on. But you can beautify the journey to the home by lighting the landscape nearby. Special Effects with Lighting There are a lot of ways of playing with light and shadow to create special effects in the landscape. Filter the light downwards
through the canopy of an oak, pine or maple tree to get a lacy shadow effect on the patio. Barton amplifies the effect of a focal point by using it to cast a dramatic shadow on the home. Make shadows from palm trees or fireplaces onto the rippling surface of a water feature. The effects you create will depend entirely on your own landscape and architecture. Low Voltage Outdoor Lighting The electricity running into your home holds a potentially dangerous voltage of 120 volts. To create low voltage outdoor lighting you’ll need to install one or more transformers. This will reduce the voltage of your outdoor landscape lighting to 12 volts. If your wiring gets exposed by inclement weather or the abuse of the elements, this voltage will poses no danger to you, your family members or
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Landscaping your pets. The drawback of the low voltage outdoor lighting is that light fixtures becomes dimmer as they get away from the transformer. If this becomes a problem, there are a number of easy solutions. You can upgrade to a high-rated transformer of a heavy-gauge cable, or, you can use multiple transformers. You can also simply reduce the number or the wattage of your light fixtures. Moving the transformer and/or rearranging the layout of the
lighting system can reduce the cable length to each fixture, minimizing the dimming path. You might also consider using the dimming as an intentional effect. This is popular in path lighting, where each light fixture gets stronger as you move closer to your home. Outdoor Landscape Lighting: Design and Installation Deciding what you want your lighting to do is the first step while choosing
and designing your lighting system. Additional convenience and safety measures while entering your home at night keeps in check the appeal of your home. It simply creates a romantic mood, i.e., common goals for outdoor landscape lighting. There are three main categories of lighting but many outdoor lighting designs use some combination of the three. Path Lighting– Uses fixtures that focus light onto your paths and walkways. Primarily for safety, this lighting still creates aesthetically pleasing lighting effects for your outdoor landscape. Accent Lighting– Still focuses light onto a specific object or landscape feature, but allows for more peripheral lighting and dim illumination of surrounding areas. Creates limited appeal but emphasizes individual areas like a tree or a garden. Spread Lighting–Just as the name suggests, spreads light amongst your outdoor landscape. It creates a more general mood. Certain areas will still be emphasized but generally isn’t focused around a single object or feature. The Cost of Low Voltage Outdoor Lighting The lighting design of low voltage outdoor lighting isn’t the only reason for its popularity. The installation of this lighting system is relatively easy and cheap. A low voltage cable can be safely and efficiently buried in shallow trenches in your yard or run by conduit. Installing the wiring for any type of outdoor landscape lighting is likely to require an electrician or landscaping contractor. You might have to pay a thousand rupees for basic wiring installation or one lakh or more for comprehensive outdoor lighting design and installation. Once the wiring is in place, however, you can purchase various low voltage outdoor lighting for as little as rupees 1200 or as much as a few thousand rupees, depending on the type and decorative flourishes of the individual fixtures. n
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Gardening
A beautiful gift of nature to the garden lover: Kniphofia spp. — Mamta Bohra, Yogendra Singh Adhikari and Parul Punetha
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niphofia is one of the most beautiful flowering plants and when it is grown in masses, the area will look like paradise on earth. It is known by different names like Red hot pocker, Flame flower and Torch lily as the flower’s shape and appearance resembles like a torch of red, yellow and orange colour. It belongs to the family of Asphodelaceae (earlier liliaceae) and originated from South Africa. The genus Kniphofia contains 17 genera and 750 species. It is an evergreen plant and some species are deciduous one. The leaves are long, narrow and tapering type. Its leaves are of grass like and length varies from 50-100 cm. The flowers are borne at the end of leafless stem. The individual flowers are of tubular type and red in colour. Later, the older flowers turn to orange and then greenish yellow in colour. The spike length varies
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Butterfly visiting Kniphofia flower
from 2-5 feet. The flowers bloom from July to August months. The flowers are mildly fragrant and contain nectars that always attract bees, butterflies and birds. It can be used as a bedding purpose for mass display. It produces brilliant attractive colour flowers that can attract different faunas so it can also help in conserving
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biodiversity and even its presence in the garden can give soothing effect to the eyes and helps in changing the mindset of people from tiredness to energetic once. In landscape design plants can be used for making border, grown in front of shrubberies and lining along the drive way. It is highly suitable for rock garden, foundation planting and container gardening. It can be used to create a focal point or as a specimen plant at the back of the border. The flower spike is used as cut flowers. Most of the species are evergreen in nature i.e., when flowering is over it will show greenery in the garden. Beside aesthetic beauty the plant have medicinal values too. In South Africa flowers are used in cosmetics and its roots are used for preparation of cleanser to get rid of skin related problems. Some of Kniphofia spp. flowers are consumed as minor food. In traditional medicines its roots
are used to cleanse the uterus, curing asthma and bronchitis. It has been reported that Kniphofia parviflora is traditionally used as snake repellent. The plant thrives well in hilly conditions. It prefers open, sunny site and can also be grown on partial shade conditions. It can tolerate heat and humid conditions. The crop is insensitive to photoperiod but quality bloom appears on long day conditions. The soil should be well drained, humus-rich, sandy loam having pH 6.5-7.5. If the soil condition is poor one can add organic manures like farmyard, poultry manure, compost and vermicompost. Addition of these leads restor the fertility status of soil and also have beneficial effect on flora and fauna. It is propagated through sexual and asexual methods. Propagation through seeds is done to produce hybrids or development of new varieties. The seeds will take 2 months for germination. The optimum temperature for seed germination should be about 150C. When seedlings become large to handle then pricking is done. Transplanting of seedlings should be done when they attain a height of 5 cm. During spring and early summer they are planted in permanent position. Division of clumps or rhizome is one of the most common methods of its propagation. Large clumps are lifted with the help of spade and hand hoe, rhizomes are divided into smaller one.
Gardening Division is generally done in spring season as new growth starts. Nowadays for rapid multiplication and getting uniform size tissue culture method is popular among growers. In field conditions ideal spacing should be 45 cm x 60 cm. Plant needs plenty of water for quality production of flowers. It is a drought tolerant crop but it needs irrigation during summer season. In container gardening it should be kept in mind that media should be moist but not water logged. For container gardening one can use perlite, vermiculite, available peat and bark based media as these media has good aeration, drainage and water holding capacity. It is a moderate feeder crop. Use of water soluble and slow releasing fertilizers has beneficial effect on growth and development of the
Field view of Kniphofia
plants. Fertilization should be given at active growth stage. It is a tall growing plants, so height can be reduced by withholding nutrients mainly nitrogen and phosphorus as well as irrigation. For getting compact growth habit use of plant growth regulators like paclobutrazol and uniconazole should be done. The flowering time is depends
upon the genotype of plants. Some species are winter flowering so they should be protected from frost. Some species are summer flowering they dry out during winters and sprouts in early summer. In hilly region, it flowers during the rain. Among the perennial plants, it is less infested with attack of insects and diseases.
However, aphid, spider mites and thrips are most common pests that are generally seen in crop. They suck the sap from the plants. Diseases like Alternaria, Botrytis and Sclerotium the most common diseases to infect Kniphofia. For controlling these proper crops monitoring should be done. One can control incidence of these insect and diseases by using integrated pest/disease management methods that include culture, mechanical, biological and chemical method. This is cost effective and sustainable approach of producing quality and n quantity bloom. – Mamta Bohra1, Yogendra Singh Adhikari2 and Parul Punetha3 1&2 Assistant Professor and 2 M.Sc. Research Scholar, College of Horticulture, VCSG, Uttarakhand University of Horticulture and Forestry, Pauri, Garhwal, Uttarakhand
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E-mail: mbohragbptu@gmail.com
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Gardening
Hanging Basket An Additional Beauty to the Garden — Atul Batra and R.S.Katiyar
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hanging basket is a suspended container used for growing decorative plants. These are increasingly popular as a way to add eye-level colour to decks and porches without the fuss of digging and weeding. Mostly they are hung from buildings, where garden space is at a premium and from street furniture for environmental enhancement. Hanging baskets are normally made from wire with an impervious, usually plastic, lining to retain the contents. They are filled with peat-free compost usually with a waterretaining gel and controlled release fertilizer granules. Flowering hanging baskets provide long-lasting beauty both indoors and outdoors. As hanging baskets can be moved easily from one location to another, it is possible to enjoy summer color all around the house and garden.
GROWING PRACTICES Soil: A good quality potting mix or compost should be used for hanging baskets. It is better to add slow-release fertilizer and mix well before filling the basket. Soil should be light and fluffy, allowing plants to breathe. Potting soil is made up of peat moss, pine bark and vermiculite. Water: Hanging baskets need regular watering because they are exposed to drying wind on all sides. Fertilizer: Hanging basket always needs a slow or controlled release fertilizer. By midsummer, there should be use of watersoluble fertilizer once a week. If plants are exposed to heavy rains, a dose of water soluble fertilizer is essential after the rain stops.
Pinching: Pinch off dead flowers to keep the basket looking good and to encourage more flowers to grow. Any stems growing too long or taking over other plants space should be snipped back. Selection of plants The best plants to use in a new hanging basket are well established plants that are either flowering or are close to flowering. First large plants are arranged and then tucked around smaller plants, including trailing plants at the edge. A variety of flowers and plants can be grown in hanging baskets. The choice of plants in baskets depends on both the size of the basket and the growing conditions where the basket has to be placed. Many plants have been introduced in recent years that are ideally suited to hanging basket plants which are as follows: Petunia: Petunia is one of the most popular flowers and best plant for hanging in the basket. It covers the hanging basket quickly and blooms profusely. There are many varieties of petunias that come in myriads of colors. Portulaca: Portulaca is an excellent trailing ground cover plant, not only the colorful flowers, its needle-like succulent foliage looks wonderful too. This tropical beauty can be grown as an annual plant in non-tropical places and as a perennial in tropics both in containers and hanging baskets.
Some of the beautiful flowers enhancing the beauty of hanging baskets
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Nasturtium: Nasturtium is one of the best plants for hanging baskets. It loves the warmth of sun, though they can tolerate partial shade. They prefer poor soil and don’t need much fertilizer.
Gardening
...
Some of the beautiful flowers enhancing the beauty of hanging baskets
Begonia: Begonias are the perfect plant for shady places. It blooms continuously in summer and fall. They are available in shades of pink, red and white. The best Begonias for hanging baskets are trailing varieties. Begonias require moist soil, however, it should not be over watered, as the plant is susceptible to root rot. Philodendron: Philodendrons have solidly light green or variegated, waxy, heart-shaped leaves and have a vine like growing habit. They require indirect sunlight and grow well in the shade outdoors or in low light, indoors. Diascia: Diascia is another good choice as a hanging basket plant. It has beautiful colorful flowers and are rather small, bright colors and appear in clusters from spring to fall. Geranium: The Geranium is another plant that can be grown in baskets. Both the foliage and flowers are beautiful. Geraniums prefer a sunny spot and welldraining soil to flower. Fuchsia: Fuchsia is an elegant and colorful flowering hanging basket plant that prefers shade and cool summers. The trailing stems cascade out over the hanging basket with a mass of colorful flowers. Fuchsia flowers are often deep pink or orange with purple or white vibrant trimmings. Verbena: Growing verbena in handing basket is also possible. This sun-loving plant is suitable for South facing places. Verbenas come in a variety of colors and shades including pink, purple, white, red and lavender etc. The cluster of flowers blooms continuously throughout the summer in a cold climate.
Petunia is one of the most popular flowers and best plant for hanging the basket. It covers hanging basket quickly and blooms profusely. There are many varieties of petunias that come in myriads of colors
Impatiens: The impatiens grows best in shady places and in moist soil. It comes in a variety of colors including salmon, cherry, pink, white and lavender. If impatiens grown in baskets, balanced fertilizers are applied in every two to three weeks.
fast growing plant that provides masses of beautiful flowers during the summer in many shades. Lobelia: Lobelia is one of the best flowers that grow easily in baskets. They are popular for the colours. The leaves are small, smooth, shiny and tiny flowers appear in blue, purple, pink or white colour. It blooms all in summer long. Sweet Alyssum: Sweet Alyssum is an amazing fragrant flower and is perfect for balcony and roof top gardens. The trailing habit makes it a perfect plant for hanging baskets. Lantana: Small weeping varieties of lantana are more suitable for hanging baskets. The lantana flowers are fragrant, colourful, pleasing and attract pollinators. n Authors: Atul Batra and R.S.Katiyar Floriculture and Botanic Garden CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute, Rana Pratap Marg, Lucknow (U.P.) India
Dianthus: Dianthus comes in over 300 varieties and usually grown as an annual. This well-known flower is good for borders, ground covers. Cut flowers and several species are compact enough for planting in the hanging baskets, offering a profusion of flowers during the summer. Pansy: Pansies are a
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Gardening
CLIMBERS FOR CREATING SCENIC BEAUTY IN GARDENS — R. K. Roy & Ankita Tiwari
C
limbers refer to a group of perennial plants which do not have rigid stem and need support to climb over a structure. These constitute an important group of plants for creating ornamental effect and have unique place in all types of gardens. Careful selection
‘Golden shower’ (Bignonia vensusta)
‘The Pelican Flower’(Aristolochia elegans)
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and planting of climbers at suitable points of the garden creates scenic beauty and a point of attraction when in bloom. The colorful effects of the flowers in various hues alter the face of the garden in magnificent way.
‘Passion Flower’(Passiflora coccinea)
‘Trumpet Creeper’ (Beaumontia grandiflora)
Classification Climbers have various types of growth habit, foliage and flowers. For easy selection, they have been classified into three broad groups on the basis of their morphological and floral characters. Foliage Type – They grow fast and have attractive foliage. E.g. Asparagus plumosus, A. racemosus, Cissus discolor, Epipremnum aureum, E. aureum ‘Marble Queen’, E. aureum ‘Wilcoxii’, Ficus repens, Philodendron discolor, Monstera deliciosa, Syngonium podophyllum, S. podophyllum ‘Albolineatum’, S. podophyllum ‘Tricolor’, Vernonia elegans etc. Flowering Type - These climbers have conspicuous flowers and are generally considered for creating scenic beauty by exploiting their floral beauty. E.g. Adenocalymma allicea, Allamanda cathartica, Bignonia tweediana, B. venusta, Clerodendrum splendens, Combretum densiflorum, Derris scandens, Jasminum auriculatum, Jacumontia violacea, Passiflora quadrangularis, Petrea volubilis, Quisqualis indica, Wisteria sinensis etc. Screening Purpose – As these have dense foliage, they are ideal for screening
Gardening purpose. E.g. Adenocalymma Antigonon leptopus, Bougainvillea Clerodendrum splendens, Derris Ipopmea palmata. Jacquemontia Thunbergia alata, T. fragrans, elegan.
calycina, cultivars, scandens, violacea, Vernonia
Pink and Red flowered – Antigonon leptopus, Clerodendrum splendens, Combretum coccineum, Derris scandens, Homskoldia sanguinea, Quamoclit coccinea, Quisqualis indica. Orange Flowered – Bignonia venusta, Senecio confuses, Tecoma redicans, Thunbergia alata.
On the basis of flower colour, climbers have been further categorized into following groups for use in the garden designing.
Growing Tips Soil - Loam soil having good drainage is ideal for growing all types of climbers.
White flowered – Antigonon leptopus ‘Alba’, Beaumontia grandiflora, Bougainvillea ‘Shubhra’, Chonemorpha macrophylla, Echites caryophyllata, Hiptage madablota, Jasminum auriculatum, J. pubesens, J. grandiflorum, Senecio fragrans, Thunbergia gandiflora, Trachelospurmum jasminoides, Vallaris heynei. Blue and Purple flowered – Adenocalymma allicea, Allamanda violacea, Arrabidaea magnifica, Clitoria ternatea, Jacquemontia violacea, Ipomea purpurea, Passiflora quadangularis, Petrea volubilis, Thunbergia gandiflora, and Wisteria chinensis.
Clerodendrum splendens trained on wall
Yellow Flowered – Allamanda cathartica, Artabotrys odoratissimus, Banisteria laevifolia, Bignonia venusta, Gmelina hystrix, Jasminum humile, Homskoldia sanguine ‘Lutea’, Tristellateia australis.
Planting – Selection of climbers should be made depending upon the availability of light and considering aesthetic point. Pit measuring 45cm x 45cm x 45cm is to be dug up at the point of planting. Excavated soil is left for sun drying for a week and mixed with FYM or organic manure in 3:1 ratio by volume. The pit is later filled with the mixture and irrigated for consolidation. Selected climber is planted at the centre of the pit according to the season of planting followed by irrigation. If planted in succession along the boundary wall,
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Gardening Allamanda A. carthartica – Shrubby climber, evergreen; flowers are large, bright yellow, 5-6 cm across, attractive, scanty flowering. A. violacea (syn. A. purpurea) - Shrubby climber, evergreen; flowers are large, light violet, 5-6 cm across, attractive, bloom profusely during summer-rainy season. 'Yellow Passion Flower' (Passifolra lutea)
Bougainvillea as climber
Brilliant hanging effect in Pergola (Thunbergia mysorensis)
spacing may be kept 3m depending upon the spread of the plant. However, for screening purpose much closer spacing (1 –2 m) may be followed. Care and Maintenance In order to have good display and getting profuse flowering, proper care and maintenance of the climbers are necessary. v They should be trained in single stem at the initial stage and later branching is allowed when it reaches over the wall, gate or porch. v
Manuring with cow dung manure / compost once in June-July and other in September-October encourages vegetative growth as well as flowering.
v Care should be taken against the diseases and pests attack by spraying of fungicides and pesticides whenever required. v Pruning, in some cases, is extremely necessary for the removal of dead branches, overgrowths besides keeping the plant in shape. v Irrigation at the initial stage of planting is also important.
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Alamanda purpurea
Landscape Use Climbers significantly contribute in the improvement of aesthetics of the gardens by their attractive flowers and foliage. Proper selection, planting and training, make a point of attraction to the visitors. Most common location for planting are - arch over the gate while others suitable points are – porch, fence, trellis, partition wall, pergola, tree top etc. One has to select right species for a particular location. Flowering creepers should be selected for the locations where availability of sunlight is more. For screening purpose climbers having fast growth rate and dense foliage are recommended. Description The salient features of the important climbers highlighting their growth habit and flowering have been described for easy selection in the landscape. Adenocalymma A. allicea (‘Garlic Creeper’) – Leaves are bright, glossy, green having garlic-like smell on crushing; flowers are light purple in colour, mass blooming takes place during winter months; ideal for training over fence, porch etc. A. calycina – Flowers are funnel shaped, large, and yellow in colour and remain in bloom during March–June.
Aristolochia A. elegans - Grown for its curious flowers in the shape of bird’s head; floral tube and upper lip purple-violet, mottled inside; prefers sunny location and suitable for wall cover and similar structures. Beaumontia B. grandiflora (‘Nepal Trumpet Creeper’) - Heavy, fast growing climber; thick stem, greenish-brown; leaves large, 15-20 x 710 cm, shining green, veins prominent, opposite. Inflorescence terminal cyme, contains 12-15 trumpet shaped large flowers, 10-12 x 9-12 cm, white, frilled, flowering during winter season; ideal for pergola, covering large structures. Bignonia B. campsis (‘Trumpet Climbers’) – A very useful creeper for decorating walls, trellis; scandent, deciduous species with attractive orange flowers in bunches, almost round the year. B. purpurea - Light in growth habit, bears scented purple flowers, round the year. B. tweediana - An evergreen climber having compound leaves and trumpet shaped flowers in bright yellow colour which draws attention from distance. A unique one for planting near gate of the residential house; produces flowers during winter months. B. venusta (Syn. Pyrostegia venusta), ‘Golden Shower’ - An excellent climber for producing mass effect of flowering; flowers are golden-yellow, profusely bloom during winter months (JanuaryFebruary); very ideal for training over porch, gate, home garden fences. Bougainvillea Several Bougainvillea cultivars are
Gardening used as climbers and are very useful for training on porch, gate, boundary wall etc. Following cultivars are recommended -‘Dr.R.R.Pal’, ‘Lady Mary Baring’, ‘Mary Palmer’, ‘Mahara’, ‘Mrs. H.C.Buck’, ‘Palekar’, ‘Poultoni Special’, ‘Partha’, Shubhra’, ‘Thimma’ etc. Campsis C. grandiflora (Syn. Tecoma grandiflora), ‘Chinese Trumpet Creeper’ - Flowers appear in bunches, 5-10 nos., pendulous, 5-7 cm long, deep orange, in funnel shape, very attractive; suitable for porch, arch, covering walls. C. radicans (Syn. Tecoma radicans), ‘Trumpet Creeper’ – Flower deep orange; appear in a cluster of 6-9 flowers, blooms in summer and rainy season; suitable for covering walls and other structure. Clematis C. paniculata - Flowers small, white, fragrant, profusely bloom during rainy season. It is suitable for large home gardens, religious places (temples, samadhi-sthal). Clerodendrum C. splendens - Scarlet flowers in large clusters produce in abundance during winter and very amazing to see. It is an ideal climber for home gardens. C. thomsonie (‘Bleeding Heart’) - Climbing shrub, flowers white in colour while petals dark scarlet producing a contrast effect like blood oozing out. Combretum C. densiflorum - Flowers almost sessile in brilliant scarlet colour, borne in profusion from January - April. It is suitable for training over fence, pergola and arch. Echites E. caryophyllata - A poplar climber for every garden; prefers sunny location. Flower star-like, white 2.0-2.5 cm across, mass flowering; suitable for pergola, porch, and arch. Ipomea I. horsfalliae – Flowers bell shaped, rosecrimson, borne in large nos., produce flowers round the year; ideal for arch, trellis, porch.
Combretum comosum on fence
Stigmaphyllon periplocafolium
I. purpurea (Syn. I. cairica, I. Palmata) – Flowers funnel shaped; open in the morning hours; round the year flowering; suitable for screening, covering wall. Jacquemontia J. violacea - A light climber, grown for its attractive blue-violet flowers round the year, mass flowering attracts visitors’ attention; suitable for screening, covering walls as form dense growth. Jasminum J. auriculatum (‘Joohi’, ‘Chameli’) - A shrubby climber; flowers small, white, scented, produce cluster of fragrant
Climbers significantly contribute in the improvement of aesthetics of the gardens by their attractive flowers and foliage. Proper selection, planting and training, make a point of attraction to the visitors. Most common location for planting are - arch over the gate while others suitable points are – porch, fence, trellis, partition wall, pergola, tree top etc
Petrea arborea on arch
Trestelia australis
flowers during summer months. It is suitable for home and temple gardens. J. grandiflorum (‘Spanish Jasmine’, ‘Bela’) Flowers white, fragrant; ideal for home gardens, religious places. J. humile (‘Yellow Jasmine’) - Flowers yellow; ideal for home gardens. Lonicera L. japonica (‘Japanese Honeysuckle’) - Flowers white changing to yellow on maturity; appear on leaf axil in pairs in the form of terminal raceme. It is a good choice for home garden. Passiflora P. coccinea (‘Scarlet Passion Flower’, ‘Red Passion Flower’) - Flowers (5-6 cm across) have attractive dark red; suitable for training over partition wall, porch and arch of home gardens. P. quadrangularis (‘Purple Passion Flower’) Flowers are attractive in round shape with violet petals, fragrant. The main flowering season is rainy. P. lutea (‘Yellow Passion Flower’) Flowers round, 3.0-3.5 cm across, sepals - 5, greenish yellow outer, whitish inner; petals whitish; anthers yellow, numerous forms a circle of yellow colour; flowering rainy and early winter.
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Gardening Petrea P. volubilis - This is a unique climber for its star shaped blue flowers which creates an elegant scene when in bloom. Flowering takes place during winter months on drooping raceme. Petrea is not common in home garden but once introduced, it creates interest due its rarity.
S. fragrans – Growth habit is light; flowers small, white; ideal for training over fence, porch etc.
Quisqualis Q. indica - Flowers first appear as pink and on maturity turns to red. It is ideal for planting near gate and porch and training over the same. Flowering takes place round the year with profusion during summer-rainy season.
Thunbergia T. alata - Commonly known as ‘Black Eye Susan’ due to the presence of dark spot at the centre of the flower. Flowers are attractive in bright orange colour with dark centre. Flowering period starts from March and continues up to rainy season.
Senecio S. confusus - Flowers are orange-scarlet in colour, appear in cluster and produce tremendous colour effect in the garden. The plant requires semi-shady place for best flowering where summer is very hot. Profuse flowering takes place from February and continues up to rainy season. It is ideal for training over fence, gate in residential gardens.
T. fragrans - Flowers white, small, free flowering for long period; good for small gardens.
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Stigmaphyllon S. ciliatum - A light climber having small bright yellow flowers; suitable for training over fence.
T. grandiflora –Flowers (5-6 cm), appear in pendulous raceme, blue in colour with whitish throat. It is suitable for pergola, training over fence, wall. T.
grandiflora
‘Alba’
–
Vegetative
characters are same as T. grandiflora; flowers - white. T. mysorensis – Flowers appear on a long (25-35 cm) pendulous raceme, small, 4-5 cm, very attractive. It is ideal for pergola, trellis, specimen plant in home gardens, institutional gardens. Tristellateia T. australis A handsome, small shrubby climber; valued for its star shaped yellow flowers in terminal raceme; also grown in pots with support; blooms round the year. Vallaris V. heynei - A species with vigorous growth; evergreen in nature; flowers white; flowering during February to April; suitable for pergola. n Authors: R.K. Roy* & Ankita Tiwari** *Former Head, Floriculture and Landscaping Division **Research Scholar CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute, Rana Pratap Marg, Lucknow.
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Industry Outlook
Challenges in Indian Floriculture Industry Balasaheb Gadekar
— Balasaheb Gadekar, Hemant Jagtap
G
ovind Green House Pvt. Ltd was successfully established in the year 2009 to manufacture and supply a wide range of Greenhouses and Net houses. Company is highly instrumental in offering excellent and timely fabrication and installation services for Green Houses and Net Houses. Company is highly acknowledged as one of the pioneers engaged in offering a wide range of products such as Shadow Hall, Fan and Pad Greenhouses, Net House, Tunnel Type and Flat Type Shadenet House, Poly Carbonate Green House and Natural Ventilated Polyhouse. These houses are highly demanded for their high strength to withstand harsh weather and are offered in latest designs. Company is highly specialized in offering agricultural input pertaining to Poly Carbonate Greenhouse structures, monitoring or control systems, climate screen systems, irrigation and heating systems. With the constant support of our diligent team of experts, we are able to offer assistance in horticulture and agronomic support. They come with enriched industry experience that enables them to offer suitable solutions to enhance the production of flowers, crops and vegetables. Company is able to cater to the diverse needs of our clients by offering the best quality range of products. Thus, company have been credited with the international quality standard certifications and credentials. Balasaheb Gadekar (Director), Managing Director, Govind Greenhouse Pvt. Ltd, is highly experienced and educated person in agriculture field. Under his guidance company is able to gain a good reputation. India is bestowed with several agro-climatic zones conducive
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for production of sensitive and delicate floriculture products. During the decade after liberalization floriculture industries took giant steps in the export arena. This era has seen a dynamic shift from sustenance production to commercial production. As per National Horticulture Database published by National Horticulture Board, during 2014-15 the area under floriculture production in India was 248.51 thousand hectares with a production of 1,685 thousand tonnes loose flowers and 472 thousand tonnes cut flowers. Floriculture is now commercially cultivated in several states with Tamil Nadu (17%), Karnataka (14%) West Bengal (10%), having gone ahead of other producing states like Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, Jharkhand, Haryana, Assam and Chhattisgarh. Indian floriculture industry comprises of flowers such as Rose, Tuberose, Glads, Anthurium, Carnations, Marigold etc. Cultivation is undertaken in open farm conditions as well as stateof-the-art poly and greenhouses. India’s total export of floriculture was Rs. 479.42 crores in 201516. The major importing countries were United States, Germany, United Kingdom, Netherlands and United Arab Emirates. There are more than 300 export-oriented units in India. More than 50% of the floriculture units are based in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. With the technical collaborations from foreign companies, the Indian floriculture industry is poised to increase its share in world trade. Introduction Indian floriculture Industry stands 2nd in world’s production of floriculture produce after China with 2,33000-hectare area under flower cultivation according to sources. But India’s share in world trade is only 0.61% in year 2014 and 0.89% in 2015 according to Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM). It is growing at a compounded annual growth rate of about 30% and is likely to cross Rs.8000 crore marks in terms of value by 2015. India is rich in bio-diversity of ornamental crops. Though, the exports of floriculture products are growing since last 7 to 8 years, but the industry was not performing well and most of the units have been closed. Indian floriculture industry is facing a number of challenges related to infrastructure, production, marketing and in export concerned. The challenges being faced by floriculture industry are enumerated here. The challenges are classified as follows: i. Production level challenges. ii. Climate related challenges. iii. Marketing and transportation related challenges. iv. Institutional related challenges. v. Obstacles in Export.
Industry Outlook 1. Production Level Challenges The production related challenges are related to ground level obstacles which are unavailability of ample infrastructure, quality and improved species planting material, identical fertilizers and manures. Lack of knowledge regarding high yield varieties, soil testing and proper doses of pesticides and fertilizers is again a big obstacle in flower production. Unavailability of skilled labour for plant protection, harvesting and post harvesting of floriculture produce is affect the floriculture production. 2. Climate Related Challenge India is rich in bio-diversity and varied agro-climatic regions. There is great impact of climate change on flowering plants particularly in commercial production under open field conditions. The impact of excessive heat, cold, continuous or unpredictable rain fall with storm damage the flower production in the blooming span. Indigenous species in the natural habitat may not be proliferate and will be under threat of unfavorable agro-climatic conditions. Unseasonal monsoon may deprive the western hilly regions and its surrounding regions of normal precipitation, affecting the species that require high humidity and water. 3. Marketing and Transport Related Challenges The market related challenges is the main obstacle in improving economic status of floriculture producers from small growers to large. There are various market related challenges faced by floriculturist that are no availability of market, difficulties in transportation due to high perishable produce, commission of agents, delay in payments after sell of flowers, inadequate arrangements for grading and storage for which growers have to sell their produce at very cheap prices to the wholesalers or commissioned agents. Various local taxes by the government on transportation of floriculture produce creates a big issue for the growers so most of the growers prefer spot sale to avoid such expenses and they sale their produce with a very low profit margin. 4. Institutional Related Challenges There is no declaration of any support price for floriculture produce. Farmers demand for the declaration of support price from government but there is still not any support price for the flower produce. Therefore, more farmers gets diverted towards the floriculture industry. Inadequate supply of quality planting material of improved varieties from recognized institute creates great loss to cultivars for improving their production as there are many more pirated seeds and planting material available at cheaper rate in market and most of the growers prefer it due to cheaper rate. Information management and broachers related to improved techniques of floriculture are not easily available to flowers growers in small town or at village level. There is no linkage between research & development labs and industry.
environmental concerns. The main obstacle is the quality of flowers. International trade – Risk of incursion of pests and pathogens through import and export of pathogens free floriculture products meeting international standards. Post harvesting management is the toughest challenge in India which directly impacts quality of flowers. The competition in the international arena has been increasing with the entry of new African countries in the global trade. Besides, a number of Asian neighbors’ are also emerging as competitors in the export market such as China, Nepal, Srilanka and Pakistan. 6. Conclusion In spite of export potential, the performance of the Indian floriculture sector has not been encouraging. The floriculture exports dropped marginally in value terms during the recent years. The industry is also facing several challenges at the production level related to small size land holding day by day, unavailability of basic inputs and skilled manpower for harvesting and post –harvesting techniques. Pirated seeds and planting material are further adding to the woes of the flower producers in the country. Inadequate cold chain management is not only affecting the future of floriculture but also having a negative impact on it. At marketing stage, major challenges faced by Indian flower exporters are related to product diversification, differentiation, vertical integration and innovation, quality and environmental issues. With increasing involvement of supermarkets in flower trade, organizing logistic is also becoming a critical factor for the flower exporters. Considering the past experience, it is indigenizing green house technology for commercial production. Product diversification and value addition like extraction of oil, pigments, production of dry flowers should be encouraged. Some more agro export zone should be introduced by the Govt. of India for promoting export of floriculture. By adopting modern techniques with future sight, the floriculture growers and exporters will definitely overcome this challenges and obstacles in the Indian Floriculture Industry. n Balasaheb Gadekar, Ajay Ghorpade and Hemant Jagtap Managing Director, Govind Greenhouse Pvt. Ltd, Talegaon Dabhade, Dist-Pune
5. Obstacles in Export of Floriculture Industry There are many obstacles related to floriculture exports which keep India’s share in world trade negligible. Economic crisis has significantly affected the floriculture industry worldwide. Declining floriculture produce from major consuming countries affects the export levels and employment in flower sectors, particularly in developing country like India. The major problem faced by Indian flower exporters related to low level of product diversification and differentiation, vertical integration and innovation and challenges associated with quality and emerging
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Obstacle Glance
Challenges In Transportation Of Hazardous Materials — Viejay Bhatia (Director), AVA Chemicals Pvt Ltd
A
hazardous material is a material which has been determined by the laws of Govt. as to cause an unreasonable risk to health, safety and property when being transported. There are various categories of cargo which are considered as hazardous. Products that are explosive, flammable, corrosive, noxious, poisonous, radioactive and irrigative substances. Commodities which emit poisonous vapor when wet are regarded to be hazardous. Classification of Hazardous Goods
TRANSPORTATION OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS As the chemical industry is growing very fast, the proportion of hazardous chemicals in total freight traffic is increasing at a rapid rate. Approximately two-third of the carriers that carry hazardous goods are Flammable; Corrosive; Explosive; Poisonous; Radioactive; Oxidizer. Such materials are more prone to accidents than any other materials. The regulatory guidelines for the transportation of hazardous materials are more stringent as compared to the non-hazardous materials. There are numerous challenges involved in the global supply chain of such materials.
RISK ASSESSMENT The transportation of Hazardous Materials in any kind of traffic is always prone to accidents. The primary cause leading to such accidents are rough handling, non-compliance to legislation and regulations, incompetence and lack of trained and capable human factor. When such accident occurs, the environment gets contaminated. These facts emphasize the necessity to identify the probability of accidents through a comprehensive methodological analysis. REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS Various kinds of regulatory requirements in offering and accepting dangerous goods for transport are: classification, packaging, marking and labelling of packages, packing of cargo transport units, segregating conflicting dangerous goods, marking of cargo transport units and documentation etc. All these elements are critical. Most problems arise from undeclared or misdeclared dangerous goods. Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) requires the in-detailed information of handling of such hazardous materials during transportation. IIP (Indian Institute of Packaging) I n d i a n Institute of Packaging (IIP) is an autonomous body in the field of packaging and working under the administrative control of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India. The export of hazardous goods/materials through cargo from India is regulated as per the guidelines stated by the IIP. Every hazardous product packing needs an IIP Certificate that has information of product class, UN Number, Packaging group, UN Mark and is valid for a period of six months to one year. REAL CHALLENGES 1. Ignorance, lack of education and inadequate training of personnel, poor condition of roads, warehouses and related infrastructure give rise to some of the problems during the process of transportation of chemicals. 2. Lack of proper safety and precautions followed by consignor/ consignee also plays a major role. 3. In addition, pilferage, high levels of fragmentation of the
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Obstacle Glance industry and poor storage structure also contribute towards compounding the situation further. By following the basic eight guiding principles of the industry, the problems of the chemical transportation can be rectified: 1. Training
2. Legal requirements
3. Planned risk management
4. Ongoing improvements
5. Provision of information
6. Policy documentation
7. Emergency control
8. Community interactions
INSTRUCTIONS OF TRANSPORTATION OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS TO BE FOLLOWED 1. The goods carriage should display a distinct mark of the class label appropriate to the type of hazardous goods. 2. In case of packages containing goods, which represent more than one hazard, such packages shall display distinct labels to indicate the hazard. 3. Every goods carriage carrying hazardous goods shall be fitted with a tachograph, an instrument to record the lapse of running time of the motor vehicle and a spark arrester. 4. Fumigated containers must have a warning sign corresponding to international recommendations and regulations. CONCLUSION AVA Chemicals does have the Risk Assessment for the transportation of such hazardous goods, both locally and
internationally. We understand that the safety of many, depends on the strength of our supply chain. We at AVA Chemicals follow the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations in spirit and practice. A V A C h e m i c a l s has been involved in the exports of various hazardous goods across 40 different nations. We at AVA Chemicals, fulfill all the documentation required and involved in the transportation of Dangerous Goods. We ensure that the packaging of all our hazardous chemicals should be as per the IIP guidelines. The UN Number is printed on all our bags/drums. Our Expert Shipping Agents ensure that the handling of such materials is done as per instructions written in MSDS. Thereby reducing the risk imposed to human and environmental factors in the transportation. Web: www.iip-in.com. Email: Exports@avachemicals.com Web: www. avachemicals.net
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News
Air-purifying plants a hit at Gurugram flower festival Stalls with medicinal, vastu plants receive many queries too
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urious visitors thronged the ‘Pots n More’ outlet at the two-day Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) Flower Festival 2017. The event was held at Leisure Valley. In between answering visitor queries, 55-year-old Ram Naryan Gir said: “Unlike a few years ago, more and more people are growing plants at home. Due to an increase in pollution in the National Capital Region, people prefer to grow airpurifying plants.” Popular choices Gir, who has been participating in the festival for two years, said some of the most popular air-purifying plants were sansevieria, areca
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However, he regretted that there were fewer stalls this year as the event coincided with a marathon. Besides this, he also felt the parking space was also inadequate. “There were 70-odd stalls last year. However, only 35 could be accommodated this time,” he said.
palm, Boston fern and spider plant. Besides these, roses, marigolds, daisies and lilies and a large variety of bonsai plants with prices ranging from Rs.500 to Rs.25,000, were other major attraction at the show.
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Bonsai plants Major Singh, who was at the show for the first time, said there was an increasing awareness in NCR about the bonsai plants. “There are so many varieties of Chinese and Indian bonsai plants on display here. Awareness about these plants has grown over the past decade,” he said. Medicinal and vastu plants at Chhaju Ram Nursery outlet were a big hit as well. Ashok Kumar, who was manning the outlet, said he’s been participating in the festival for the past three years and that people have been showing greater interest in these plants.
Fun family outing The families coming to the show from far-off areas had a fun time, thanks to a wide variety of street food stalls and ice-cream vendors. Rakesh Goyal, who was accompanied with his wife and children, said he’s been coming to the festival for the past four years. “The flower outlets, food stalls and cultural programmes make it the perfect place for a family outing,” said Goyal. The show was inaugurated by Haryana Public Works (Buildings and Roads) Minister Narbir Singh.
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ITI holder creates wonders in polyhouse farming
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oranchu Srikanth Reddy created wonders in polyhouse farming - a modern way of cultivating vegetables, flowers and fruits. He, along with his younger brother and father, grew capsicum and cucumber crops of multiple colours over nine acres of land using the advanced mode of agriculture and registered an extraordinary yield of the crops. Reddy started exports of quality produced to several parts of Maharashtra, New Delhi and Telangana. A holder of ITI course and native of Mavala village in Adilabad mandal, Srikanth Reddy had ventured into the field of agriculture in order to carry forward the legacy of his father, Ganga Reddy, in 2003. His success in this new method can be attributed to his acumen and vast experience in this sector. “After pursuing ITI, I decided to assist my father, who was then cultivating cotton in 1995. We also started a dairy farm in 1998. Then, we started cultivating different varieties of vegetables from 2003. Since 2016, we adopted this polyhouse farming to grow red, yellow and green
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coloured capsicum and cucumber on the nine acres of land.” he narrated. Srikanth Reddy is now a role model in polyhouse farming in Telangana and is a master trainer for others. Farmers belonging to not only various places in Telangana, but also Maharashtra, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh visit his polyhouse farm. Reddy has won laurels from his counterparts and agriculture scientists and experts of horticulture for achieving success in his endeavour. The farmer said that he was able to achieve a record yield of 56 tonnes of capsicum per acre and 50 tonnes of cucumber in each acre, thanks to the merits of the new method of farming. One cannot register this productivity in the open agriculture and in normal climatic conditions. His commendable knowledge, experience and diligence are playing a vital role in getting success in this sector, said Adilabad Assembly Constituency, Incharge Horticulture Officer, G Srinivas Reddy. The officer added that Srikanth had meticulously studied certain polyhouse projects in Maharashtra and Telangana before
Boranchu Srikanth Reddy in yellow colored capsicum crop being grown in his polyhouse farm at Mavala village on the outskirts of Adilabad.
using this mode of farming. Management of pesticides and polyhouse is crucial to achieve in this mode of agriculture. To which Srikanth Reddy also suggests that one needs to have basic knowledge about the sector. The innovative farmer, however, seeks support of government in transporting vegetables. “Shipping vegetables is weighted down with challenges. They need to be carried on special vehicles that cost over Rs 20 lakh per unit. The government must take steps to provide transporting facilities to farmers as they cannot afford to buy the carriers,” he urged.
News
Royal FloraHolland trades 12.5 billion flowers and plants in 2016
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t has been a flourishing year for the floriculture industry. Royal FloraHolland traded a total of 12.5 billion products in 2016, an increase of 0.3%. The company has posted turnover of €4.6 billion, up 3.8% from last year. The auctions in Aalsmeer, Naaldwijk, Rijnsburg and Eelde, along with the online FloraMondo platform, process more than 100,000 transactions a day, involving thousands of varieties of cut flowers, house plants and garden plants. Royal FloraHolland CEO Lucas Vos: ‘We are on track to achieve our goals for 2020: improving profit margins for our members and their customers and promoting the sale of flowers and plants in the consumer market.’ Higher prices The turnover increase is driven mainly by the higher prices growers received for their flowers and plants. Price levels rose by an average of 4.2%, while total turnover from cut flowers reached €2.7 billion – an increase of 6.7%. Turnover in the house plants product group fell by 1.3% to €1.5 billion. Turnover from garden plants increased by 4.7% to nearly €0.4 billion. Exports to record levels Dutch exports of flowers and plants reached a record level of €5.7 billion in all, up 3% from the previous year. Exporters of floriculture products expect this positive trend to continue in 2017. The largest market for Dutch flowers and plants is and remains Germany. Exports in this market increased by 7% to more than €1.6 billion, accounting for 61% of total export growth. Exports to other European countries also increased further, with the exception of the United Kingdom, where the strong decline of the British pound had a dragging effect. Russian exports continued to be impacted by the trade sanctions that remain in place. Revenue and ratios: solid foundation Royal FloraHolland’s revenue decreased marginally by 1.3%, to €378 million, while operating profit increased
by 3.8% to €27 million. Operating profit excludes the costs of Strategy 2020, the recent corporate reorganisation and profit from participating interests. The company’s financial ratios have remained level, with a solvency rate of 25.1% and a risk-bearing capital base of 54.9%. ‘Our revenue and ratios provide a solid foundation for the future,’ CFO Steven van Schilfgaarde said. Responding to market trends Lucas Vos: ‘Royal FloraHolland is the world’s largest marketplace for flowers and plants. The floriculture industry is constantly changing and evolving, with digitalisation being the main driver. We are responding to these changes by integrating all digital trading instruments into our upgraded Digital Trading Platform. Digital is the new standard!’ ‘Our strategic programmes are finding their way to consumers and to new markets outside Europe. In addition, we are developing new concepts for the domestic and international markets. Examples of such initiatives include the international innovation project Let it Grow, which supports and connects “green” businesses. This is our way of boosting innovative concepts and meeting consumers’ changing needs.’
customers embrace sustainable standards and practices and develop sustainable initiatives and concepts. Our unique role enables us to support them in this process as a representative of the floriculture industry in interactions with government authorities, NGOs and retailers. The purpose is to establish a set of rules and procedures that will gradually make the industry more sustainable. I firmly believe that consumers will embrace floriculture products even more in the future as part of a sustainable and healthy lifestyle.’
I n c o r p o r a t e d Sustainability Report This is the first year that sustainability constitutes an integral part of the Royal FloraHolland annual report. The cooperative highlights its sustainability objectives by setting clear targets. ‘I am pleased to see our members and their
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Israeli irrigation project increases projection in India
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drive down Israel’s countryside is an eye-opener. Lush agriculture fields nestle amid the desert that covers at least 60% of the country. But, slowly, the harsh terrain is giving way to fields. This is a remarkable feat, considering that the country, tiny though, gets just 300mm average rainfall every year. In contrast, India is experiencing its second consecutive drought year and many parts of the country, including Tamil Nadu, are facing an acute drinking water crisis. Incidentally, the annual average rainfall of Tamil Nadu is 1,500mm. In the vegetable belt of Reddiyarchatram village, 16km from Dindigul, a southern town in Tamil Nadu, the state government’s horticulture project officer K Srinivasan oversees a Centre of Excellence (CoE), an Indo-Israel
collaborative project. Fully funded by the Centre, the initiative is creating more than a buzz in the parched region. Here, the centre showcases vegetable cultivation in poly green and insect-proof net houses using drip irrigation. “A hundred farmers from Thanjavur just visited us to study these farming methods,” said Srinivasan. Israel has helped India set up nine such
centres across the country, with one more in Tamil Nadu — in Thali, Krishnagiri district — where flowers are grown. The Union government has sanctioned 26 such CoEs in all. Subburaj Govindasamy, a farmer of Sellakuttiyur village, 30km from Dindigul town, said he was happy with the Israeli takeaway. He visited the CoE three years ago. Kerala is a huge market for his cucumbers that is sold at the big Ottanchatram market in the south. “I found that the water I used for one acre, earlier following the traditional method, can irrigate five acres now with these new technologies,” said the 69-year-old economics graduate, who has a oneacre holding in his hamlet and one acre in Sundarapuri taken care of by his son Ramesh.
Large microirrigation project for Jain
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ain Irrigation Systems Limited has been awarded the Poorigali Integrated Micro Irrigation Project by Cauvery Neeravari Nigam Limited, Govt. of Karnataka through National Competitive Bidding. The path-breaking irrigation project is based on the concept of “Resource To Root™”, globally pioneered and promoted by Jain Irrigation which will deliver “More Crop Per Drop®” to farmers. The work order for the project valued at Rs. 569 Crores was presented by the Chief Minister of Karanataka Siddharamaiah in
a glittering ground breaking ceremony held at Malavalli Taluk, Mandya District, Karnataka on 20th April 2017. He was
accompanied by WRD Minister M.B.Patil and other Govt. functionaries, where over 50,000 farmers were present. This project at Poorigali reaffirmed the numero uno status of Jain Irrigation in the field of water resources management and agriculture in the country. Jain Irrigation is a pioneer and global leader in using cutting-edge precision irrigation technology for the benefit of small and large farmers across the world.
Indian Agrochemical market set to go up
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rices of agrochemicals like pesticides and herbicides in the Indian market are set to go up by at least a fifth with rising global crude prices and shut down of many raw material factories in China, the world’s largest producer of agrochemical raw materials. India, which is the fourth largest producer of agrochemicals globally after the United States, Japan and China, imports nearly 60% of its technicals requirement from China, who fulfils 90% of the world’s technicals requirement. According to analysts and agrochemical companies, the prices of crude oil, from which essential raw materials for manufacturing of technicals are derived like the second and third derivatives of
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crude, chlorine, yellow phosphorus and bromine etc. has increased from $2530 per barrel in January 2016 to $50-55 per barrel towards the end of the year pushing up the prices of technicals. This exerts a direct pressure on the prices of formulations or finished agrochemicals like pesticides, insecticides, majorly used in crops like cotton, paddy. K. Ravichandran, senior vicepresident, ICRABSE 1.78 % said, “The prices of technical have been on an upward trajectory since last year and has seen a big jump of 15-20% on an average towards the fourth quarter (January to March) of fiscal 2016-17 when the prices of crude oil started firming up.” According to Pradip Dave, president,
Pesticide Manufacturers and Formulators Association (PMFAI) and promoter of AIMCO Pesticides, “This scarcity has (also) been created by China who has imposed a duty on export of technical to push for export of finished agrochemical products.”
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Date of Publishing 25-26 Every Month Date of Posting 3-4 Every Month
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