FLORICULTURE TODAY

Floriculture Today March 2013

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Contents Chief Editor

S. Jafar Naqvi

Consulting Editors T.V. Satyanarayanan

K Dharmarajan Chief Coordinator M.B. Naqvi Editorial Coordinator Syed M K

News Editor

General Manager

Layout & Design

Anwar Huda Lalitha V. Rajan Mohd. Iqbal Faiyaz Ahmad

Head Office New Delhi: +91-11-26682045 /

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10 Editorial

Cover Story 12 Valentine’s Day 2013

Indian Floriculture Wins Cupid’s Blessings

— T. V. Satyanarayanan & Anwar Huda

16 India’s Valentine’s Day Flower Exports Rise

But weather plays spoilsport

Hyderabad

Mumbai

Pune

9248669027 hyderabad@mediatoday.in

20 The World Celebrates Valentine’s Day with Fervour

9702903993 mumbai.office@mediatoday.in

Interview 22 Growth of ROSE-GROWING Area is Unstoppable

Bangalore

9341473494 bangalore@mediatoday.in

Ahmedabad

9727866249

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Printed, published and owned by M.B. Naqvi, Printed at Everest Press, E-49/8, Okhla Industrial Area Ph-II, New Delhi - 110 020 and Published from E-11/47 A, New Colony, Hauz Rani, Malviya Nagar, New Delhi-110017 (INDIA) Editor : S. Jafar Naqvi Vol 17....... Issue 10...... March 2013

Roses Bloom in Africa, Love Blooms in the World

..... Praveen Sharma

23 Changing Preferences have not Affected the Sale of

Roses during V- Day ..... Col Harpreet Singh Walia

24 Domestic & Overseas Flower Demands were attractive

during this V-Day ..... Bharat Bhojane

Gardens 26 Pranab Opens Mughal Gardens to Public 32 London Olympics Park & Gardens

Fine Spectacle of Contemporary Designs & Horticultural Diversity

— Shivani Sharma

42 Environment

Balihari Qudrat Vasya

Mission: Greener India – Green Economy

— Kamaljeet Singh

Heritage Tree Register – Community of Trees – Tree Value Preview / Key Questions / Actions Proposed

44 flower quality

Anthurium

Techniques for enhancing post-harvest quality

— Sunil Kumar & Krishna S. Tomar 58 event report

31st IRF Rose Show & Convention

Ahmad Alam Khan elected as President, IRF Floriculture Today Today March March 2013 2013 8 Floriculture

Floriculture Today March 2013

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Edit orial

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much whipped-up subject now is ‘Greening’, with the avowed objective of fighting growing environmental pollution that is evident everywhere. Greening of cities, residential areas and office complexes is high on the agenda of municipal bodies, land development agencies, real estate companies and residential welfare associations. Despite all the pronouncements and claims, however, a major eyesore in most cities and towns is mountains of uncleared garbage on the roadsides, lanes and bye-lanes, spreading stench all round.

One does not know what adverse impact poor waste management is making on tourism in major cities, but Goa, acclaimed as a tourist paradise, is definitely feeling the pinch. So much so that the State’s Travel and Tourism Association has thought it fit to give a helping hand to the waste management authorities. The association is toying with a novel idea of starting animal farms of pigs, cows and poultry which can devour the enormous food and kitchen waste from big star hotels and resorts. These farms would be run by the hotels themselves to clear the in-house garbage. This initiative has come from the association since the stakes are high for the tourism industry, which is witnessing dwindling number of tourist arrivals. Many tourists are not making a secret of their disgust with the sight of roads, beaches, water bodies, and roads polluted by biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste. This is clear from the feedback the association is getting from nonresident Goans and tourists. Tourists from Germany, for instance, are quoted as saying that they are not keen to visit Goa, because of its unsolved problem of garbage disposal.

Surely, the problem is not confined to Goa, where the

issue got highlighted because of a tourism conference there. The story is virtually the same in most cities and towns. While such problems persist, well-tested solutions are also available like, for example, conversion of biodegradable waste into biogas, useful for lighting and cooking. For that, however, the authorities have to take the initiative and accord priority to solve the problem.

Lackadaisical attitude of the authorities and want of leadership and commitment, along with general lack of civic sense among people themselves, account for most of such ills.

Let us take the case of big Mandis selling fruit, vegetables and flowers. Mounds of waste get collected there for days together because there is no organized waste disposal on a daily basis. With a little effort, much of this waste can be converted into wealth. One such effort has taken practical shape in the metropolitan city of Mumbai, where municipal authorities have devised an ingenious way of putting to good use old flowers discarded in large volumes every day by shrines, homes and decorative pandals. Huge receptacles, “Nirmalya Kalasam,” as they are called, are kept at vantage points to receive the old flowers. These are collected and converted into compost manure, which is used in city gardens. Some manure is also sold in packets, for use in kitchen gardens in homes.

It looks an interesting concept and it can easily be replicated on a smaller scale in Individual homes by making use of fruit, vegetable and flower waste to prepare compost fertilizer that can be used in backyard gardens or for potted plants. Some little help it would be to reduce the waste management burden of civic authorities in the country!!

Comments are welcome at: MediaTodayMails@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

Valentine's Day 2013 Indian

Floriculture Wins Cupid’s Blessings Online Bookings of Flowers a Huge Hit

T. V. Satyanarayanan & Anwar huda

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ustomary enthusiasm and exuberance marked the Valentine’s Day in India and elsewhere this year, bringing cheer and bonanza to florists, gift shops and restaurants serving special fare to romantic couples.

Love-birds and couples were seen everywhere -- in parks, malls, restaurants -- offering each other red roses and bouquets and a host of other gifts, thus intensely expressing their feelings of love.

Commonly known as Valentine's Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine, it dates back to 496 AD in honour of martyr St. Valentine. The Day, celebrated every year on February 14, is the ultimate day of love. It is the perfect occasion for the people to display affection for their sweet hearts in the most memorable ways.

Many people go for a single red rose, the symbol of love, or a lovely mixed bouquet. Florists across India enjoyed brisk business, as the surge in flower sales increased many times on this day.

Nitin Kumar, a rose cultivator from Nainital, said, “Every year during the Valentine's Day season, florists do good business”.

“We wanted flowers to be available, especially after February 10, so that we could sell them on the Valentine’s Day. We normally get demands from Delhi, Lucknow, Chandigarh and local markets,” said Kumar.

V-Day in Delhi: Day of Florists Anyone taking a walk in the National Capital’s sprawling Lodhi Gardens On February 14 knew it was a special day.

Couples thronged the park looking for cozy corners under trees, many carrying

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Floriculture Today March 2013

Cover story picnic baskets. Restaurants offered romantic dinners, spas were filled up with couples who wanted a ‘chocolate massage’ and shoppers splurged on diamonds and crystals. Others just spent the day quietly with someone special, exchanging fragrant red roses.

Considered as Asia's largest flower market, Delhi witnessed record sale of flowers during V-Day with flower shops earning huge revenue on a single day.

Roses, especially red ones, remained the top choice.

Trade sources estimated that the entire flower market of Delhi would have earned Rs. 25 crore this Valentine’s season.

According to S. Jafar Naqvi, President, Indian Flowers and Ornamental Plants Welfare Association (iFlora), “Overall business was good in terms of volume.

There was diversification in terms of flower use and also wider utilisation in terms of colour and varieties. Both for wholesale and retail, the business was better than last year.”

“Delhi got good business as it is one of the largest consumer markets, and other metropolitan cities did well too,” added Naqvi, who estimated the number of retailers in the Delhi-NCR region at more than 10,000.

During the Valentine’s Day festivities, which begin a week in advance with Rose Day on Feb 7, the demand goes up for roses, specifically red ones. The Rose Day is followed by Proposal Day, Chocolate Day, Teddy Day, Promise Day, Kiss Day and Hug Day to culminate on Valentine's Day on February 14.

No wonder the flower prices skyrocket during this period to as much as Rs.25-Rs.30 per stem (General Price range in India), almost double the regular price of Rs.12-Rs.15.

According to the Delhi based florists, the record jump in the sale of flowers this Valentine's Day was due to boost in supply of flowers in the markets. "Early flowering of the buds due to the rise in temperatures in past 7-10 days resulted in bumper production of flowers," said a flower wholesaler. In addition to Rose, Red Carnations also saw brisk sales.

Delhi receives flowers mainly from Kullu and Manali in Himachal Pradesh.

Some quantity also comes from Gujarat, Maharashtra and Karnataka.

The V-Day celebrations in Delhi started at the break of dawn. At North Campus, students started pouring in early with roses and gifts. Some students had brought with them life-size, heart-shaped

cushions and potted plants.

Florists made a killing in the markets.

By afternoon, Sunil a florist in Green Park market had sold out all his roses.

“I have some gerberas. No one is taking them. I have white and yellow roses but no one is buying,” he said. As the demand for roses increased, the prices too skyrocketed as florists worked through the night preparing special bouquets and offering special flower packages including cakes, chocolates and soft-toys.

“The average production in India is about five lakh roses a day. About 30-40 per cent of the overall revenues come during Valentine’s Day week,” said Kumar Mallikarjun, General Manager, Zopar Exports.

Interestingly, the rates of roses in tier-II cities are a notch higher than the metros such as Delhi, Bangalore or Chennai. For instance rates in Chandigarh are 10 per cent more than those prevailing in Delhi.

“The average price of a rose stem normally is Rs 10, but during Valentine’s Day, the price goes up to Rs 25 and above,” said a South Delhi florist.

But this time prices hit the sky.

“Roses cost Rs 40 today, while on regular

days it costs between Rs 15-20. Lillies cost between Rs 100 to Rs 200,” Praveen, a florist in South Delhi said on V-Day. Delhi is Asia's largest flower market.

There are a total of about 5000 flower sellers in Delhi. India's flower production stands at around 1,000 tonnes per annum and most of the flower trade occur in the Delhi region.

Assocham Survey A study was also carried by the industry body Assocham (Associated Chamber of Commerce and Industry of India) prior to Valentine's Day. It said India's floriculture industry is likely to cross the Rs.8,000-crore mark by 2015.

India's floriculture industry, with just 0.61 percent share in the global market, is likely to reach 0.89 percent by 2015. The survey had predicted this year’s Indian V-Day trade at Rs. 1500 crore.

The floriculture industry in India is worth about Rs. 3,700 crore (about $696 million) and roses account for over Rs .2,400 crore (about $451 million), the Study said.

Online bookings of flowers a huge hit Online spending on flowers was huge, as a big percentage of couples

According to various florists, the average price of a rose stem in Delhi was around Rs. 20-30 on V-Day. In addition to Rose, Red Carnations also saw brisk sales.

Online spending on flowers was huge, as a big percentage of couples logged on to online flower retailers, where they could browse and compare prices, against brickand- mortar or makeshift flower shops

Floriculture Today March 2013 13

Cover story

Indutry Report on V-Day Trade “The demands for roses during this V-Day were very high in Hyderabad and much of the southern markets. But carnation and anthurium also registered high demands. The supply and demand were equally high. Due to marriage season, the demands of orchids and other varieties are also picking up. The prices of flowers on V-Day in Hyderabad were around Rs. 250 (for 20 roses), and Rs. 280300 (for 20 carnations). The exports were tremendous, though early flowering had some effect on it."

Aziz Ahmed, King’s Florist, Hyderabad

*** “We saw the highest demands for roses during this Valentine Day. We are wholesaler and supply to various Indian cities including Indore and Ahmedabad. We saw huge demands in all cities. The rose, as ever, was the top selling flower.

Anthurium too sold very well. The prices of roses were Rs 300 for 20 pieces, Rs. 180-230 for 20 heliconias, Rs. 60-70 for 20 anthuriums. In normal days, we get usually half of these prices for the same varieties.

The exports were high as well.”

K. K. Mohanan, Archana Florists Pvt Ltd., New Delhi

***

Price realization in the domestic market was not that encouraging due to excess supply of flowers. It was generally Rs 6 to Rs 7 per stem (average). Yes, the retail shops did sell each stem at nearly Rs 30 or more. In fact, the price was nearly Rs 50 per stem in Chandigarh and around. I did meet few customers who got roses at such prices. But unfortunately the premium is never passed on to the farmers.

Col Harpreet Singh Walia, CEO, T'Fiori

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Floriculture Today March 2013

Roses Rule on this V-Day as ever

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o t h i n g expresses p e r s o n a l sentiments better than roses -- and they do express them in style.

Who can forget the first time one received a rose as gift?

Cleopatra is said to have used red roses to win the heart of Mark Antony. The red rose is considered the flower of Venus, the Goddess of love. Red roses symbolise love and respect, pink stands for sweet thoughts and white stands for purity.

In the lover’s lexicon, roses can convey much more. Even numbers have significance. Offer of single rose means falling in love at first sight. Giving three roses is a declaration that you don’t just love him or her, but acknowledge

the idea of love existing in the past, present, and future. Twelve roses say, ‘I love you’. And 108 roses poses the question, ‘Will you marry me?’

So, obviously roses were top attraction during this year’s V-Day too. * * * Chennai to grow roses in large area In Chenai region of Tamil Nadu, the National Horticulture Mission and the state government has

logged on to online flower retailers, where they could browse and compare prices, against brick-and- mortar or makeshift flower shops. Assocham survey prior to V-Day predicted correctly that that people are opting more for the digital purchase than visiting a shop to buy many things including bouquets.

Online flower delivery site phoolmandi.com had arrangements available in a range as wide as Rs. 395 to Rs. 23,000. “There has been a hike of 8 to 10 percent this year, with a revenue of Rs.450,000, which is far better than the revenue last year. In 2012, we made Rs.380,000,” Rohit Nath, owner, phoolmandi.com said.

Websites offered bouquets and packages including chocolates, stuff toys, gift items and chocolate cakes for Rs 1,000 to Rs 3,000.

Online retailers offered romantic gifts ranging from flowers and teddy bears to many other attractive gift items

initiated efforts to promote rose cultivation, said S. Kumaran, a member of the state Department of Horticulture.

“We expect earnings of around Rs. 250 million next year through export of roses to European countries during the Valentine's Day period,” he added. Kumaran said nearly 2,722 hectares of land is being utilised for flower cultivation, out of which roses are grown in 433 acres. n

at a discount to make the most of the Valentine’s Day market pegged at Rs 1,500 crore. For customers young at heart, shopping portals such as Jabong, Indiatimes, Flipkart and Caratlane ran discount offers on thousands of gift options.

Indiatimes.com, portal of Times Group’s internet and mobile division Times Internet Ltd, had on offer over 1,500 products Like other online retailers, it also promised midnight delivery of flowers on V-Day. In addition, TimesMobile Ltd had launched a greetings and gifting mobile app, GreetZAP that enabled users to record their feelings and send it to their loved ones through physical voice cards that are home delivered. “With Voice Cards, we have brought a new way to express feelings which today’s youth, who are very connected and tech-savvy, will love to use,” Ajay Vaishnavi, director telecom at Times Mobile, said. n

Floriculture Today March 2013 15

Cover story

India’s Valentine's Day Flower Exports Rise But weather plays spoilsport

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alentine’s Day festival brought cheer to many Indian rose exporters; but not to all. Climate change and dip in demand were a source of worry for some of the producerexporters, particularly in South India.

Said a leading exporter, “As Europe – usually a major importer – is reeling under an economic crisis, flowers are being treated as a luxury even by those who celebrate V-Day. Chinese exporters used the situation to their advantage by offering flowers at lower prices.”

Besides, unrest in countries like Syria and Lebanon contributed to a drop in demand from the Middle East.

Climate change, reflected in a warmer winter this year in southern parts, resulted in early bloom of roses in Pune region and Bangalore, major areas of

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Floriculture Today March 2013

rose cultivation. Ahead of V-Day, the concern of floriculturists was that rise in temperatures could lead to damage and consequent rejection of export consignments.

Among those happy with this year’s export performance and price realization were floriculturists from western Maharashtra, particularly Mawal region, one of the hubs of flower production.

About 4.5 to 5 million roses were exported to Europe from this region, said a leading rose trader.

“We tried exporting roses to USA for the first time. It was successful,” commented another trader.

Here are reports from various centres.

Rose cultivators in western Maharashtra rushed to ship off their

"In one week, Jet Airways' cargo uplifted 30 tonnes of cut flowers onboard its Mumbai London flights and 9.5 tonnes of flowers onboard its Mumbai - Brussels flights. About 80 percent of these consignments contained roses,” a Jet Airways spokesperson said

V-Day consignments to the US and European countries. Cultivators in the Amble village in the Mawal region were busy packaging the roses attractively so that the consignment can be shipped and could reach its destination on time.

Many of the flower cultivators were overjoyed due to the surge in the demand as there are able to make good money.

“This year we tried exporting roses to the USA for the first time and it was successful. Then we got busy in preparing the European shipment as the Valentine’s Day is celebrated on a big scale over there,” said Shivaji Bhengre, a rose businessman from Amble village.

He said producers from this region had been sending shipments from February 01 onwards. “We tried to

Cover story fulfill the requirements of the entire European region. I think about 4,500,000 to 5,000,000 flowers had been exported from our Mawal region.”

Flower shipments Air India and Jet Airways flew tonnes of fresh flowers to Europe during V-Day season. Kenya, Ethiopia and Ecuador are top exporters of flowers.

"In one week, Jet Airways' cargo uplifted 30 tonnes of cut flowers onboard its Mumbai - London flights and 9.5 tonnes of flowers onboard its Mumbai - Brussels flights. About 80 percent of these consignments contained roses,” a Jet Airways spokesperson said.

Air India is estimated to have carried 25 tonnes of flowers on its MumbaiLondon flights in the last few days before V-Day. Karnataka: A Major Player Around 20 flower exporters from Karnataka sent around 4-5 million roses to countries such as Europe, Australia, New Zealand, the Gulf and Singapore for the Valentine's Day celebrations.

Export of roses, which started as early as January 29, continued till February 12, said Jayaprakash, general secretary, South India Floriculture Association (SIFA), adding, “Despite a 10-15% increase in floriculture acreage around Bangalore, the greenhouse production of roses remain same as last year — 5 million roses. Lack of manpower, high cost of power and depletion of groundwater table are the main causes for the reduction in production of roses,’’ Karnataka is among the leading states in flower cultivation. Around 27,970 hectares of land in the state is being used for cultivating flowers like jasmine, chrysanthemum, crossandra, and marigold, using traditional methods of cultivation, while around 200 hectares of land cultivating crops like rose, gerbera, anthuriums, lilium and orchids use modern protected cultivation techniques.

While Europe’s harsh winter is not conducive to flower cultivation, Karnataka’s weather at this time is well suited for growing important commercial flowers, some of which are exported.

Institutions like International Flower Auction Bangalore, South India Floriculture Association, State Horticulture Department, NABARD, Indian Institute of Horticultural Research and Agriculture and Horticulture Universities provide training programmes for flower growers. .

Among those happy with this year’s export performance and price realization were floriculturists from western Maharashtra, particularly Mawal region, one of the hubs of flower production.

About 4.5 to 5 million roses were exported to Europe from this region, said a leading rose trader. “We tried exporting roses to USA for the first time. It was successful,” commented another trader Himachal Pradesh: Emerging State Floriculture business in Himachal Pradesh is blooming. "The demand for roses, carnations and tulips from the state is quite good round the year. But just ahead of Valentine's Day, there is a sharp increase in demand for cutflowers," said Vinay Bali, a farmer in Rajgarh in Sirmaur district. V-Day is really the time that spells big business for florists and growers.

According to Bali, most farmers dispatched flowers to Chandigarh and Delhi, the main flower markets.

Approximately 860 hectares of land is under flower cultivation and over 3,000 farmers are involved in it.

Many pockets in Solan, Shimla, Sirmaur, Mandi, Kullu, Bilaspur and Chamba districts have made a name for themselves in the flower business.

Rajgarh and Tissa block of Churah Valley in Chamba district are prominent floriculture hubs.

Unfavourable weather According to some growers, this year has not been as profitable as expected due to unfavourable weather. The export worth of the flowers is an important factor for growers. Mohan Rao, who has

been involved in flower cultivation in Nelamangala for the last 10 years, said this year had been an unprofitable one due to unfavourable weather conditions.

“I had to spend Rs. 3 lakh for three borewells owing to erratic rainfall. The weather led to early budding, so only 10,000 of the 1 lakh stems were export worthy this season. When compared to sales of Rs. 15 lakh last year, it was only about Rs. 7 lakh this year,” he said. The direct export rates of rose stems too had come down from Rs. 12 a stem to rates ranging from Rs. 6 to Rs. 8, he added.

General Secretary of SIFA Jayaprakash Rao said that the cost of production for growers was high.

The government had previously announced that power tariff would be reduced, “however, it has not yet been implemented despite growers’ pleas,” he said.

For growers whose entire yield is not export worthy, there is the option of auctioning the produce at the International Flower Auction Bangalore (IFAB). Managing Director of IFAB Ltd., G. Vasantha Kumar, said there was an average increase of 50 per cent in arrivals at the IFAB, in addition to the 10 per cent new buyers this time. He added that Floriculture Today March 2013 17

Cover story about 60 per cent of the annual exports are clustered around February 14.

Polyhouses in Talegaon As many as 400 farmers who own polyhouses in Talegaon Dabhade industrial area in Maharashtra have been exporting roses to the European Union member countries for more than a decade. Annual rose production in these polyhouses is close to ten million stems, apart from other varieties of flowers that are in demand for decorations.

Vishwas Jadhav, trainer at the horticulture training centre in Talegaon, said, “The ideal temperature for roses is 25 degrees Celsius during the day and 15 degrees Celsius at night. The average temperature in December 2012 was much higher and the roses matured early.

Except for a couple of days in December, when night temperature was less than 15 degrees, the entire month was warmer than 2011 and 2010.”

Pune District Flower Growers Association president Shivaji Bhegde said, “Of the total roses in all the polyhouses in the industrial area, close to 60% are export quality. There are strict norms about the size, colour and the length of the stem. The importers in Europe expect the flower to stay fresh for five to seven days after it is sold to a customer. We need to plan accordingly, as flowers are first cut and processed here and then shipped to Europe, mainly to the UK and the Netherlands, after passing through a chain of multiple distributors. We need to plan in such a way that the rose would not bloom

for at least ten days after it is cut.”

The rose saplings used for cultivation in the Talegaon polyhouses are imported from Europe, hence their blooms have a longer shelf life compared to the local varieties, Bhegde said.

Bhegde said, “Our first consignment is usually sent to Europe by January 27. But this time we had to advance the dispatch

by January 22. This means our roses arrived in the EU market much earlier and now we are worried about how long they will remain fresh. The last consignment was sent on February 9. “The demand for the European roses grown here is on the rise in global markets.”

Hosur cut-flower hub Gone are the days when roses and dollars rained literally in this cut-flower hub, said a floriculturist in Hosur area in Tamil Nadu. Another Valentine season has passed without bringing relief to the hundreds of residents who grow more than 40 varieties of red roses for export. As red roses from China are less expensive, they have eaten into Hosur’s market share.

This year, the region witnessed an export slump of 15% to 20%. Shrinking export orders and climate change have caused much concern among rose cultivators. “The international market for cut flowers has been dull for the last two years because of the economic crises in Europe. Conflict in central Asia also contributed. The situation worsened when the Chinese started flooding the western markets with red roses,” said Najeeb Ahmed, managing director of

the government-sponsored Tanflora Infrastructure Park, which grows the largest number of red roses in the country.

Normally, Tanflora exports 1.5 million flowers to Europe, where the demand for Valentine’s Day is 40 million cut flowers.

But there is a 50% dip in demand and Tanflora recorded a 15% dip in exports.

Sridhar Choudhary, managing director of Vinayaka Agritech which exports more than one million flowers annually, shares the same concern.

“Unrest in Syria, Lebanon and Cyprus has taken its toll on the demand from the Middle-East, a key market for Hosur roses. Due to lukewarm response from the international market, we are concentrating on the domestic market. This has affected profits.

The total export from Hosur last season was more than 12 million flowers but now it has reduced to eight million, say growers. Roses from African regions including Kenya, Ethiopia and Ecuador are giving tough competition to Indian roses with better quality and more varieties. Climate change has had a negative impact too.

“The salubrious climate is vanishing.

Nights are extremely cold while the day is steaming hot. Power cuts extending more than 14 hours are affecting profits because they make greenhouses ineffective,’’ said V Ramesh, a large-scale farmer of Matham village.

There are over 250 governmentassisted and 55 privately-owned cut flower production units in Hosur and the adjoining Denkanikotta area. n

Ghodawat Agro exported 2.5 million flowers during V-Day

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his year, Ghodawat Agro grew in its greenhouses 25 lakh flowers which were exported to all over the world. Ghodawat uses latest technology and has converted barren 150 acres land into green houses. Its Star green house alone has an area of around 140 acres. Because of this green house, many people from adjoining rural area are getting employment and now they are planning to expand this green house in around 300 acres.

During this V-Day

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season, it exported flowers to many countries including Japan, England and Australia.

The flowers were also sent to

Floriculture Today March 2013

cities like Mumbai, New Delhi, Hyderabad and Vijaywada, etc. Sanjay Ghodawat Group’s new faces-- Shrenik Ghodawat

and CEO Anil Kotecha-- are putting up great efforts to let the company scale new heights. n

Cover story

Kenyan Roses

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olombian, Ecuadorian, Kenyan, Ethiopian or Indian – Dubai offered wide variety of roses from around world. The gulf market is one of the biggest markets for Indian flower exporters. Dubai, the single largest consumer market in Gulf, offers some of the most premium roses from around the world.

According to Charif Mzayek, MD, Alissar, ““We have concluded that the best roses in Dubai are those from Kenya. I say this because of the ideal altitude and climatic conditions they are grown in and the distance factor” “Broadly, the best roses are those with a decent bud size (medium to very large), shiny leaves, long sturdy stems (70-90 cm), can open fully and have a long vase life (around seven days),” said Charif Mzayek, Managing Director of Alissar, a floral solutions provider at the Dubai Flower Centre (DFC). Dealing with premium roses, he supplies an average of 30,000 stems across the UAE every week, the number multiplying four-fold around Valentine’s Day. The variety of a cut rose is a matter of its crossing.

Breeders cross hundreds of

charm Dubai on V-Day

thousands of roses each year to arrive at unique varieties through elimination. They are then grown in suitable climes. In Dubai, florists said, roses grown in Kenya and South America (Colombia and Ecuador) carry a huge premium. Flowers also come from Holland, Ethiopia and India. Normally, the Kenyan and South American roses cost between Dh 8 and Dh12 a stem but go up to Dh15-Dh 25 during V-Day. John Hammond, manager at the florist Oleander, said: “This season we are selling around 40,000 roses from Kenya and 15,000 roses from South America as these roses

are grown in ideal conditions.

They are big and robust and last at least a week.”

Upscale and Posh, another florist, said the Ecuadorian reds are the “Rolls Royce” of roses. According to Tiffany Fowler, Assistant Managing Director, “These roses make a lavish statement as they are beautiful, long-stemmed and symbolise love and romance.”

With around 200-250 deliveries on Valentine’s Day, she said the largest order received until V-Day was for a bouquet of 100 Ecuadorian red roses for $499 (Dh 1,831).

Alissar’s Mzayek claimed Kenyan roses are preferred in Dubai for many reasons.

The largest Valentine order he had till February 12 was for a bouquet of 300 Kenyan roses for Dh6,000 and an order of 1,000 individual roses by an organisation to distribute among its female employees and visitors.

“Unlike South American roses which are four days old by the time they arrive, it takes just five hours for Kenyan roses to be shipped here. We must remember flowers travel dry and get stressed, so the less time it takes, the better,” said Mzayek.

He said that as an importer, supplier and trader, Alissar is able to preserve the quality of roses by maintaining an optimum cool chain right from the farm to the last point of delivery, be it a florist, supermarket, hotel or individual client.

Jawad Hasan, owner of Sentiments Flowers, who sold around 25,000 roses around Valentine’s Day, said Kenyan roses are as popular as those from Ecuador. “They sell well because they have big heads, long stems and enjoy a vase life of around seven days.”

The Dubai Flower Centre at Dubai Airport also sells flowers. n

Shrivardhan Biotech exported 4 lakh red roses during V-Day

I

ndian rose growers were benefited by the massive overseas demands of Indian roses. Despite some hiccups like early flowering in some regions, exporters cashed in on V-Day demands in several countries.

Kolhapur (Maharashtra)based Shrivardhan Biotech, a

well-known grower, exported around 4 lakh red roses until February 14. Its greenhouse grows several rose varieties including Upper Class and Samurai. It produced a total of 29 lakh flowers, out of which, it exported 8 lakh flowers including 4 lakh red roses. The main importing countries were

Holland, Sweden, Greece, Japan, Australia and Dubai.

It also sold 11 lakh flowers in local markets like Delhi, Mumbai, Nagpur, Hyderabad, Aurangabad, Jabalpur and Pune.

“We have to take care of flowers from the time of harvesting to the stage pf

packaging.

The price realization depends on the flower’s stem. The long stem fetches higher price.

It should be preferably 40 cm to 70 cm long,” said Ramesh alias Satishkumar Patil, CEO, Shrivardhan Biotech. n

Floriculture Today March 2013 19

Cover story

Kenyan flower exports steadily rose ahead of Valentine's day with a major flower grower in the country, Finlays delivering 450 tonnes to the UK market during V-Day season.

The UK high commissioner in Nairobi Christian Turner said: "UK company Finlays have this week delivered 13 million roses, 5 million other flowers (450 tons) in four full 747s (Boeing aircrafts) from Kenya to Britain

20

Floriculture Today March 2013

The World Celebrates

Valentine's Day with Fervour

Roses bloom in Africa, Love blooms in the World

V

alentine’s Day is to cut flowers what Christmas is to mistletoe.

Without it, flower-sellers, who spend much of January blowing on their mittened thumbs, would struggle to survive.

Couples all over Europe and USA and other countries celebrated Valentine's Day with gusto. They did not mind high prices of roses and gifts to express their feeling for their loved ones.

Florists over England limbered up to shift hundreds of tons in a single day.

Most were red roses that spent the past fortnight in industrial refrigerators. At the Valentine’s Day, prices were between £4 and £13 a stem. Most of the roses

had been raised in polythene cities in Colombia, Ecuador or Kenya. One of the most common Valentine’s varieties is the aptly named “Grand Prix”.

Monster roses are typical of the current state of floral affairs. A timely exhibition about flowers and floristy (Floriculture: Flowers, Love and Money) opened on Valentine’s Day at the Garden Museum in Lambeth. It’s hard not to conclude from it that Londoners are now with flowers where they were with food in the late Seventies. Thanks to the supermarkets, what used to be summer flowers are now available all year — a reliable supply of lilies, sunflowers, tulips, all of an identically low standard.

Cover story These flowers are the equivalent of a frozen multipack of battery chicken legs, flash-raised for store convenience and shelf-life.

The recession has played its part.

Sarah Raven was a florist before she started her own gardening and flower arranging school, and thinks the “middle market” has suffered since the boom years: “There are a lot of great people doing expensive flowers but nothing in the high street.”

A famous flower wholesaler of Ireland said, “In the last few weeks, we have been reserving several shipments of roses at our partner growers in The Netherlands, Africa and South America.

Every year it is a gambling game as the demands are enormous but you can only wait and see what is available. We are talking big numbers and a 10% difference in production could already mean a huge difference in price. It is incredibly difficult to predict what the market will do and we are not the only one fishing in the pond. At the end of the day it all comes down to the right connections and established relationships in floriculture trade”.

Africa helps love to bloom Valentine's Day is not widely celebrated in Africa, except by the more affluent urban folks. But Africa is very much involved in our Valentine's Day celebrations.

Flowers are Kenya's biggest export earner, and growers employ more than 70,000 people. (In the US, the 200 million roses shipped for February 14th, came primarily from Columbia and Ecuador).

In the past decade, Ethiopia has gone from earning less than a million US Dollars from flower exports, to $190 million in 2012. South Africa has also become a major player in the flower industry.

Kenya is currently Africa’s biggest flower exporter and Ethiopia is second.

As Ethiopia aims to surpass Kenya in the coming years, it is focusing on penetrating the North American market.

Kenya: Top Exporter Kenyan flower exports steadily rose ahead of Valentine's Day with a major flower grower in the country, Finlays delivering 450 tonnes to the UK market during V-Day season. The UK high commissioner in Nairobi Christian Turner said via his official twitter page: "UK company Finlays have this week delivered 13 million roses, 5 million

other flowers (450 tons) in four full 747s (Boeing aircrafts) from Kenya to Britain."

Kenya Flower Council was however concerned with the high cases of arbitrary levies and taxes being demanded by local authorities in various flower growing and selling towns, taking advantage of distributors' need for urgency in delivery ahead of V-Day. "We already pay tax to the Horticulture Crop Development Authority but some councils workers are stopping trucks on the road to demand for money and you know right now the farmers will just pay it because they need to get the flowers to the market as fast as possible," said KFC chief executive Jane Ngige.

KFC said Valentine's Day alone accounts for 20 per cent of annual flower sales. Rough estimates indicate that last year about 120,000 tonnes of flowers were sold in local and foreign markets.

She added that daily about 300 tonnes are exported by Kenyan growers while on eve of Valentine's Day an estimated 500 tonnes are exported.

According to chairman of Flower Vendors Association Elvis Wainaina, flowers sold in the country would three times the normal volume in one week of V-Day celebrations. .

Ram Karturi, chairman of Karturi Global a leading exporter of flowers with cultivations in India and Africa said, ”We exported 1200 tonnes of roses for Valentine's Day but only 40-45 tonnes came from India. Domestic market for flowers is vibrant and exports from India are falling. In fact, due to the high

local demands India imports flowers like orchids and tulips.''

Ethiopia: Trying to outpace Kenya Ethiopia’s flower exporters too made handsome profits on Valentine’s Day. Many of the roses that lovers give each other on Valentine’s Day happen to be grown in Ethiopia. In the last decade, the industry has grown from virtually nothing to one of the dominant players on the international market.

Zelalem Messele, an Ethiopian flower grower and chairman of EHPEA, the Ethiopian Horticulture Producer Exporters Association, said, “Valentine's Day is very important for the country's flower sector.

It’s one of the holidays when the flower industry flourishes and the production goes up by 30 to 40 percent and so the demand”.

About 85 percent of Ethiopia’s flowers are exported to Europe. Flower exports in 2012 were valued at more than $210 million. This year, the amount was above $525 million. Industry growth and government-provided tax breaks and loans have attracted many foreigners here to set up flower farms in Ethiopia. Of the 90 flower producers in the country, more than half are non-Ethiopians - many of them Dutch.

About 1,500 hectares in Ethiopia are used to produce flowers. The fast-growing industry has directly created about 85,000 jobs and roughly 110,000 jobs indirectly.

Women take up 80 percent of these jobs.

As for V-Day couples everywhere, no matter where the flowers came from, love was the real winner. n

Floriculture Today March 2013 21

Interview

Growth of rose-growing Area is Unstoppable: Praveen Sharma Pune-based Flora Consult offers complete technology package for Hi Tech Floriculture Project. Its services are backed by over two decade of experience in the field of Hi-Tech Floriculture in tropical conditions of Africa, Middle East and India. It specializes in growing roses on Hydroponics using CocoPeat as substrate medium. The roses grown under the supervision of Flora Consult on substrate have commanded premium prices in the International markets.

Praveen Sharma, Flora Consult’s Chief Consultant, in a brief chat with Firoz Haider, talks about Valentine's Day trade of flowers, demands, supply, and other such things. Excerpts:

Please tell us about the export demands for flowers, sale and price realization during this Valentine's Day in comparison to last year. And which were the main importing countries?

This year, we had tremendous demands for Red Roses from European destinations, like UK, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Greece etc. The demand was on the higher side by 15 %, and also the price realization for fixed price order went up by 10%. The main reason of increase in the price was due to Valentine's Day falling on Thursday. The auction clocks and the buyers had good opportunity to sale even on Monday and Tuesday.

Can you give details about Valentine's Day sale in domestic markets, price realization, demand and supply pattern, etc?

Domestic market is also growing at the rate of 15-20%. The prices were as high as Rs. 250 per bunch for Red varieties.

Can you comment on the changing preferences of the customers like opting

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Floriculture Today March 2013

for other gifting items, and brands creating a host of mixed gifting boxes to spike up sale?

Yes, the trend is on the rise due to many websites with online gift delivery systems.

We had a short or non existent winter this year especially in western Indian regions like Pune, Sangli, Satara, Nashik, etc. This was because of early flush in many cases. But farms with good cold storage facility managed to overcome by stoking the flowers.

Do you agree with recently published news that delay in shipment to Australia, New Zealand and parts of Europe, which normally begins on January 30, affected export?

It might have happened with few growers.

As per a leading financial daily news, ‘Taj Mahal’ variety of rose, which is grown mainly in Pune, Nashik and Bangalore, was the top attraction and recorded higher sale. It was sold double the price of other verities of roses due to its various superior qualities like bigger

bloom, better shelf-life and brighter colour. What do you think about this variety? Should growers focus on it?

The variety is also known as Top Secret, and it is a good variety.

How do you see future markets after the post V-Day feedback? Will demand for flowers be higher as marriage season is also approaching?

The international markets will be good till March due to Woman’s Day in Russia, followed by Japanese festivals oh Ohigan in mid-March. Mother’s Day in May will further bring the market up for a while.

Do you feel that after the successful completion of this season Indian growers are going to expand production or introduce new varieties of roses next year and purchase new planting materials, etc?

Thanks to NHM (National Horticulture Mission) efforts and the declaration of the Year of Horticulture, new area will definitely be added, and growth of rose-growing area is unstoppable. n

Interview

Changing preferences have not affected the sale of Roses during V- Day: Col Harpreet Singh Walia Col Harpreet Singh Walia, CEO, T'Fiori, served Indian Army for nearly 21 years before taking a premature retirement to start his own business.

He jumped into floriculture and began growing Dutch roses in Talegao, Pune, and exporting them to Japan, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and other countries. He grows all major varieties with utmost care using latest technique in a controlled environment. In a brief chat with Firoz Haider, he talks about the rose trade during Valentine's Day, price realization, and related issues, among other things. Excerpts:

Please tell us about the export demands for flowers, sale and price realization during this Valentine's Day in comparison to last year. And which were the main importing countries?

There was a good export demand of flowers during this Valentine. Average price realization ex farm (Pune) has been Rs 9 per stem, which is marginally more than what we got last year--around 1015% increase. England and Holland were the main importing countries.

Can you give details about Valentine's Day sale in domestic markets, price realization, demand and supply pattern, etc?

Price realization in the domestic market was not that encouraging due to excess supply of flowers. It was generally Rs 6 to Rs 7 per stem (average). Yes, the retail shops did sell each stem at nearly Rs 30 or more. In fact, the price was nearly Rs 50 per stem in Chandigarh and around. I did meet few customers who got roses at such prices. But unfortunately the premium is never passed on to the farmers.

Can you comment on the changing preferences of the customers like opting for other gifting items, and brands creating a host of mixed gifting boxes to spike up sale?

Yes, customers did buy other gifts like Diamonds, etc but it is only ROSES which are most preferred by the customer during Valentine. There was no shortfall in the domestic sale of the flowers. In fact

the demand went high on 14 Feb. as well.

Few wholesalers got my roses delivered to them on 14 Feb. (afternoon). Changing preferences have not affected the sale of Roses during the Valentine. In fact it was much better and is getting better day by day. Customer wants only quality roses.

They are willing to pay for it.

Few individual exporters complained that due to high temperature and lack of climate-controlled polyhouses, rosegrowers faced early flowering this season.

Did it affect trade and export during V-Day? Yes the climatic changes did created a problem for the growers. There was more demand of exports but supply was too less. I am sure we could not even meet 50% demand of our buyers in export market.

Do you agree with recently published news that delay in shipment to Australia, New Zealand and parts of Europe, which normally begins on January 30, affected export?

Delay in shipment affected the export supply. Logistic support is minimal as the product which we export does not excite them as it gets them less freight revenues compared to any other product being exported by these courier agencies.

As per a leading financial daily news, ‘Taj Mahal’ variety of rose, which is grown mainly in Pune, Nashik and Bangalore, was the top attraction and recorded higher sale. It was sold double the price of other verities of roses due to its various

superior qualities like bigger bloom, better shelf-life and brighter colour.

What do you think about this variety?

Should growers focus on it?

In fact, Top Secret and Bourdex have good demand in the international and domestic markets.

How do you see future markets after the post V-Day feedback? Will demand for flowers be higher as marriage season is also approaching?

There is always a good demand of roses throughout the year in both the markets provided it is of good quality.

Growing a quality rose is a challenge especially by the small growers. This is due to various reasons like changes in climatic conditions, lack of labour, limited technical support, high prices of fertilizers/ chemicals, limited funds, no direct excess to the market etc.

Do you feel that after the successful completion of this season Indian growers are going to expand production or introduce new varieties of roses next year and purchase new planting materials, etc?

This is an on going process. Farmers will try out new varieties. I always believe that no business can be better than growing quality Dutch roses. It gives 100% non taxable returns. But it requires 100 % commitment from all players involved in this game viz farmers, wholesalers, retailers and a support of both state and central government. n Floriculture Today March 2013 23

Interview

Domestic & Overseas

flower demands were attractive during this V-Day: Bharat Bhojane Rise n Shine Biotech, an ISO 9001- 2008 Certified Company, has a sprawling 200 hectares of land having world-class infrastructure facilities at Theur near Pune and Yawat- a progressive farming belt in the state of Maharashtra. Rise n’ Shine’ is focused on providing integrated solutions in the area of Biotech, Floriculture and Horticulture. It has a production capacity of 30 million plants per annum, producing a variety of crops that include Gerbera, Carnation, Spathiphyllum, Lilium, Cordyline, Alpinia, Potato, Ranunculus, Anthurium, and Orchid. In a brief chat with Floriculture Today, its General Manager (Business Development) Bharat Bhojane talks about Indian flower trade during this Valentine's Day season, problems faced by the growers, and new emerging overseas markets, among other things. Excerpts:

Please tell us about the export demands for flowers, sale and price realization during this Valentine's Day in comparison to last year. And which were the main importing countries?

The demand of export was good this year, especially for roses. The main importing countries were UK, Australia and Gulf nations. Most of the exports were carried out from Pune and Kolhapur regions. The total estimated export of Rose was about 5-6 million stems and the average price realization was about Rs 15 per stem. The prices of exports were almost similar like last year.

But this year, growers received better prices from Australia than Europe due to good rate of Australian Dollar. This year, the export of flowers from Kenya and Ethiopia was hampered due to rains during Valentine's Day season in these

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Floriculture Today March 2013

countries and also because of logistical problems in Europe caused by bad weather.

Can you give details about Valentine's Day sale in domestic markets, price realization, demand and supply pattern, etc?

Domestic sale was also good, and apart from rose, carnation and Gerbera also fetched good prices in all metro cities. Mumbai, Pune, Delhi, Bangalore and 2-tier cities were the major consumers of flowers during V-Day. The price realization was, on an average, about Rs.10 per stem for Carnation and Rose and about Rs 5 per stem for Gerbera. There was no deficiency in supply as production and demand matched each other. For example, a city like Hyderabad, which is a major

consumer of Gerbera, and to where came most of the flowers from Sangli, Satara and Kolhapur earlier, has now many floriculture projects that fulfill its demands.

Can you comment on the changing preferences of the customers like opting for other gifting items, and brands creating a host of mixed gifting boxes to spike up sale?

Yes, mainly ornaments companies made good advertisements and came with V-Day themed jewelry offered at attractive prices.

Few individual exporters complained that due to high temperature and lack of climate-controlled polyhouses, rose-growers faced early flowering this season. Did it affect trade and

Interview export during V-Day? Yes, we are growing flowers in naturally controlled polyhouses and due to climate change weather is unpredictable. The main rose growing area is around Pune and Kolhapur regions and due to high temperature, rose buds open fast and this affects for export. The countries like Kenya and Ethiopia have cooler nights than India, so they are getting good bud size.

Sometimes, at airports, due to high temp, the cooling change is not maintained and this affects flower quality.

Do you agree with recently published news that delay in shipment to Australia, New Zealand and parts of Europe, which normally begins on January 30, affected export?

I think yes, but I don’t have correct figures.

As per a leading financial daily news, ‘Taj Mahal’ variety of rose, which is grown mainly in Pune, Nashik and

Bangalore, was the top attraction and recorded higher sale. It was sold double the price of other verities of roses due to its various superior qualities like bigger bloom, better shelf-life and brighter colour. What do you think about this variety? Should growers focus on it?

Yes this variety is excellent and gives quality bloom and also fetches good price in local markets. Also we are coming with thorn-less Rose variety sourced from our principle company M/s Terra Nigra B.V which got the price of 0.70 Euro per stem in Holland auction. This variety is more popular in Brazil and Mexico where climate is similar to India. We are also planting new varieties from Terra Nigra at Floriculture Park in Talegaon, Pune.

How do you see future markets after the post V-Day feedback? Will demand for flowers be higher as marriage season is also approaching?

Yes, this will create awareness among flower users and demand will increase due to coming marriage season. I strongly

believe we have to focus more on domestic markets because consumption is increasing substantially. And numbers of days for selling flowers are also more now.

Do you feel that after the successful completion of this season Indian growers are going to expand production or introduce new varieties of roses next year and purchase new planting materials, etc?

Yes there is always demand for new varieties. And importing countries are also changing and we have to plant new varieties as per country’s specific demand. Now sale in Japan is going down. Previously, our rose was the best exporting flower to this country, but now Japanese customers’ choice of variety is different. They want small bud and stem length. While UK and Australia’s consumers want something else, so we have to fulfill all types of demands.

So definitely, growers will expand production. n

Floriculture Today March 2013 25

gardens

P

resident Pranab Mukherjee, on February 15, opened for the general public the Mughal Gardens which displays some of the chosen best flowers and shrubs. People can visit these gardens in the President’s Estate till March 17. Mukherjee took a stroll for about 30 minutes in the gardens going through minute details of the facilities and the flower carpets created in neat order in a 15-acre area of Rashtrapati Bhavan.

“The President said he enjoyed morning walks every day in the gardens. He welcomed the public to come and see the Mughal Gardens in large numbers and enjoy seeing the flowers in full bloom. He expressed the hope that the future of the country would be as bright and vibrant as the flowers in the Mughal Gardens,” a Rashtrapati Bhavan statement said.

The Gardens, opened for public between 10 am-4 pm, will have the main attraction of close to 2500 Dahlias flanked by trees of little ‘China oranges’ spread intermittently in the geometrical lawns meticulously brought up by a team of 35 dedicated gardeners of the President’s Estate.

“The main attraction this year is the floral wall of Dahlias which will be in full bloom and colour when the visitors start arriving. The indigenous soft ‘doob’ grass has been laid on the grounds which will present a soothing view to the visitors,” Officer on Special Duty (Horticulture) at the Rashtrapati Bhavan Nigam Prakash said.

A host of flowers like Roses, Dahlia, Calendula, Gerbera, Linaria, Larkspur, Gaznia, Verbena, Viola, Pansy Carnation, Chrysanthemum, Marigold, Salvia and many more would welcome the visitors. Last year the gardens recorded 6.5 lakh footfalls when they were opened for a month’s times.

Some days have been reserved for the visit of special category of visitors. While farmers will have their exclusive day on March 18, differently-abled persons and those who are visually challenged can visit the Mughal Gardens on March 19.

Security forces personnel will have their day of visit on March 20.

The gardening team, according to OSD Prakash, has

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Floriculture Today March 2013

made special efforts to keep the colour theme of flowers a predominant yellow and white this year. There will be special enclosures like the ‘spiritual garden’ with trees like ‘Rudraksh’, ‘Chandan’, ‘Hina’, ‘Kadamba’, ‘Banyan’, ‘Peepal’ and Date Palm for visitors. For those who take special interest in herbs and aromatic plants, an exclusive area has also been prepared.

The herbal and Bonsai gardens-- unique as their names-- will add to the charm of the overall layout of more than 55 species of flowers that constitute the landscape of the gardens which derive inspiration from European, British and Mughal styles of flower laying.

The musical fountain in the gardens will play tunes of Shehnai and also Vande Mataram in synchronisation with light and sound effect. Due to security reasons, visitors will not be allowed to carry water bottles, other baggages, camera and cell phones during their visit to the gardens.

Mughal Gardens see huge crowds every year. Last year, the main attractions at the historic Mughal Gardens were the floral carpets and a new bonsai garden with about 200 plants, besides a special cactus corner. Floral carpet design is a manifestation of imagination and skill of the gardeners. It can be used to decorate homes, offices and also functions. n

Floriculture Today March 2013 27

gardens

Tulips, to bloom soon…

by Raiz Ahmed Lone

A

s tulips are going to bloom soon at Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip garden Cheshmashahi, Srinagar, the largest Tulip garden of Asia spread over an area of about 12 hectares, situated on the foothills of Zabarwan Hills with an overview of picturesque world famous Dal Lake. Before it blooms to delight you, let us know something about this beautiful flower.

Tulip, the premier ornamental flowering bulb, belongs to the genus Tulipa, family Lilaceae, class Liliopsida, sub-class Liliidae and order Liliales.

The tulip is a beautiful flower, and also a cheerful reminder of spring. Without a doubt the tulip is the best known and the most frequently cultivated of all the bulbous plants. The present selection of cultivated species and varieties is very large indeed and has been developed over centuries.

The scientific name Tulipa was assigned by the famous Swedish botanist Linnaeus in the mid 1700’s. The name tulip is derived from the Persian word toliban meaning turban, which is an apt term to describe the flower shape of certain tulips. As odd as it may seem, there is not a single species of tulip native to Holland, the country most frequently associated with these colorful, well-known flowers. In fact, only a small handful of species can be found in the wild in Europe, and those are all restricted to southern parts, primarily in the Mediterranean region, as far west as

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Floriculture Today March 2013

Portugal.

The vast majority of species, however, occurs in central and western Asia in countries such as Turkey, Afghanistan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Georgia, among others. East of the centre of distribution, the range of a couple of species extends into northern India and far western China, but on a limited basis.

In India tulips thrive well in our Kashmir valley, the Kulu valley and other similar hilly regions.

Structure and Life Cycle Technically speaking, not all plants that we refer to as bulbs are true bulbs.

For example, crocus and gladiolus arise

from corms, dahlias from tuberous roots, and certain begonias from tubers, even though these are commonly referred to as “bulbs”. However, many of our most beloved spring flowering bulbs are true bulbs including hyacinths, daffodils, and of course, tulips.

True bulbs are composed of a compressed stem, and fleshy, modified leaves surrounding a bud or growing point. The compressed stem forms the basal plate and is the part from which roots and the growing point develop. The fleshy, modified leaves are responsible for food storage and protecting the bud. The outermost layer is a dry, papery, reddish-brown coat known as the tunic. Overall, this

gardens structure enables the plant to survive in a dry, dormant state for many months, whether that is in central Asia or in a colorful box on a garden centre shelf.

The ideal time for planting tulips is from late September into early November, but we’ve had great success planting as late as mid December, through it is not recommended and people will give you some funny looks as you dig in the frosty earth! Moisture is what triggers the dormant bulb to begin growth, and as soon as the bulb is in the moist soil it begins to awake. By December a bulb planted in October will have developed a dense root system, and a healthy shoot that you would find not far below the soil surface.

Little more happens in the growth cycle until the soil begins to thaw in late winter and early spring at which time the shoot begins to grow again and emerges from the soil. By early or

mid-April the earliest tulips are braving the elements and opening their colorful goblets.

The leaves are also developing during the flowering period. The foliage of tulips, and all bulbs for that matter, plays an essential role in the life cycle.

The leaves are responsible for converting the energy of sunlight into food through the process known as photosynthesis.

The food, in the form of carbohydrates, is necessary for growth and flowering the following year and is stored in the bulb. So as unsightly as the large, floppy leaves are, they should not be cut down.

Rather the leaves should be left to turn yellow and whither at which point they can be removed .Once the leaves are gone; the bulb enters a dormancy, completing the yearly growth cycle.

The tulip generally requires a sunny or slightly shady position, the longstemmed varieties requiring a site without too much wind. The soil should be well drained, water logging in the winter months can be fatal

Cultivation and Care The tulip generally requires a sunny or slightly shady position, the long-stemmed varieties requiring a site without too much wind. The soil should be well drained, water logging in the winter months can be fatal and will prevent healthy development and flowering. If the bulbs are planted with the intention of using them for only one year (e.g. in formal flower beds), the soil type and condition is not so relevant.

When planting for a number of years (e.g. naturalizing), the soil should meet the requirements of the various species or varieties. A rich which is not too dry can be broadly recommended.

It is preferable not to plant later than October-November. The planting distance depends upon the species

or variety and the planting objective.

A distance of about 10 cm is advised, smaller species are planted closer together. At least 10-15 bulbs of long stemmed varieties should be grouped together in a border. In rock gardens the best way to obtain a beautiful effect is to plant small groups of bulbs. The depth of the bulb varies: 12-15 cm, depending on the size of the bulb.

Tulips may fall prey to infestation by aphids but otherwise they are not prone to attack by bugs or diseases when grown in garden until just after flowering. After flowering several diseases can strike tulips. Some destroy the flower; some merely make it less pretty. “Blight” causes brown flecks in the leaves, and often turns the plant gray after a few weeks. Flowers with blight will “burst” or become limp and develop stripes and spots of brown and gray. This is well-known disease among

tulips, and bulbs that have been infected should be burned so that the disease can be contained.

Gray bulb rot can strike if the bulb is under the ground in water for too long. The bulb becomes too wet and soggy to open or rise above the ground, and in effect, the tulip “drowns”. Tulip “breaking” causes spots and stripes on flowers, and results in smaller plants.

The disease can’t be cured, but if bulbs are dug up and new ones are planted it is likely they will be fine. “Crown rot” causes the bulb and flower to die under the ground. This is a rare kind of rot, and bulbs with it should be dug up and burned to prevent other plants from getting the disease.

Floriculture Today March 2013 29

gardens What causes tulips to bloom short?

Length of tulip stems at harvest is related to two aspects of temperature: number of cold weeks before flowering and temperature during the last stage before flowering, when flower buds are visible. When tulip bulbs are planted in the fall, they should already have completely differentiated flower parts.

So in the case of tulips, the dormancybreaking cold weeks are not necessary to induce the flower to form; it is already present in the bulb. However, a requisite amount of time at cold temperatures (which varies by cultivar) is required for flower stem elongation.

During these cold weeks, a growth hormone called gibberellic acid (GA) is translocated to the growing point of the bulb, and this contributes to the development of the long stems that we desire in cut tulips. If cold weeks are short, the naturally-produced GA is not present in sufficient quantities to lengthen stems before the flower opens.

The second aspect of temperature that

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Floriculture Today March 2013

can dramatically influence the length of cut tulip stems is how warm it is when the flower stems are elongating; warmer temperatures contribute to longer and weaker stems; colder temperatures result in shorter, sturdier stems.

What causes tulip flowers to be distorted upon opening?

It is usually difficult to get to bottom of what causes tulip flowers to “blast.”

Blasting is defined as the failure of a bulb to develop a marketable flower after the flower parts have been initiated. Some possible causes include: 1. High temperatures during bulb shipment or storage prior to planting.

2. Ethylene exposure which can be a problem is some bulbs are infected with disease during shipment or storage.

3. Allowing the root medium to dry excessively, especially in combination with high temperatures.

4. A lack of adequate ventilation during shipment or storage of bulbs.

5. Poor root system development which might be caused by improper watering, very high soluble salts, or even very tight tunics.

In conclusion, care of tulips require time and planning. The best tulips are usually chilled before they are placed in highly absorbent ground. Be sure to give cut tulips lots of water, and always cut stems at an angle so that they can drink properly. If tulips are planted correctly and remain healthy, you could enjoy the fruits of their flowering for five years or more!

If you have planted some in your garden enjoy its beauty and if you don’t you should try to enjoy their beauty at Tulip garden before they fade away till other spring. n

(Author is a Subject Matter Specialist (Floriculture) KVK, Kupwara, SKAUST-K.)

Floriculture Today March 2013 31

gardens

London Olympics Park & Gardens

Fine Spectacle of Contemporary Designs & Horticultural Diversity Shivani Sharma (Department of Floriculture & Landscape Architecture, Dr. Y.S.R. Horticultural University, College of Horticulture, Rajendra Nagar, Hyderabad)

T

he 2012 gardens in the London Olympic Park are a spectacular celebration of contemporary horticulture and planting design, comprising half a mile of naturalistic perennial plantings.

While the main focus in the Olympic Park as a whole is on native biodiversity and ecological approaches, the 2012 gardens explore the horticultural diversity of British gardens and take visitors on a tour of the biodiversity hotspots of the world that have been the major source of plants for UK gardeners over the past 600 years.

The Olympic Park comprises two different character areas: the North Park which has a more extensive and informal character, and the South Park, which includes the main Olympic Stadium and has a more urban character.

Plantings in the North Park largely represent designed versions of native UK habitats and celebrate native biodiversity.

They include species-rich meadows of different types; wetland plantings, including rain gardens. woodland underplantings, and dramatic perennial ‘lens plantings’. Plantings in South Park focus on visual drama and have a strong horticultural basis. They include the 2012 Gardens, Display Meadows and the ‘Fantasticology’ art installation.

Fact file While the entire London Olympic Park covers 2.5 sq. km. or 250 acres, the London Olympics 2012 Garden is approximately

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Floriculture Today March 2013

half a mile long (approx 800 m) and 130 feet wide. Around 111 acres (45 hectares) out of 250 acres of whole Olympic park was utilised for planting and habitat.

Four temperate regions in the garden Europe, Americas, Asia and the Southern Hemisphere (African) comprise: v Plants = 1,20,000 v Species = 250 v Over 60,000 plants, grasses, herbs and flowers from across the globe have been grown in an Ashford nursery and planted along with 60,000 bulbs

in the Olympic Park London 2012 Garden. v There are over ten football fields worth of nectar-rich annual and perennial wildflower meadows in the Olympic Park, designed by international wildflower experts from the University of Sheffield. v Cost- £5m ($6.3m) out of the £200m ($252m) price of the whole parkland. v Nectar-rich plants have been selected, as they provide food for wildlife,

gardens visitors from all over the world will be able to sense and see plants from their home communities.

ornamental value, and urban habitats for wildlife. v T h e a n n u a l m e a d o w s a r o u n d the Olympic Stadium are a vivid combination of tickseed, cornflower, corn marigold, star of the veldt from South Africa, Californian poppy and Plains Coreopsis that moves from yellow and blue in July to gold in August. v A combination of shorter and taller perennial meadows, which require only a single seeding, have been sown across the Olympic Park, mainly in the north of the parklands. v The meadows have been designed to be nectar and pollen rich, diverse and with a long flowering season to encourage a range of bees, butterflies, birds, moths and other insects. Specific plants and flower species have been selected to encourage particular wildlife, for example the Marsh Fritillary butterfly needs Devils Bit Scabious plant for their caterpillars and Burnet Moths congregate around Knapweed flowers.

GARDEN DESIGN The design of the gardens was the result of collaboration between Professors James Hitchmough and Nigel Dunnett (who originated the overall concept for the gardens, and the concept for each of the four individual gardens, and who developed the plant lists and specifications) and Sarah Price (who undertook the spatial design of the gardens, and the detailed planting design within the gardens). James, Nigel and Sarah worked in close cooperation with the teams from LDA (London Delivery Authority) Design/Hargreaves to develop

and deliver the final scheme.

After closing of games the new, permanent 2012 gardens were renamed as the Queen Elizabeth Gardens.

The Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park is one of the largest parks in the UK. CONCEPT The design concept: The design of the Gardens is the result of a unique collaboration of landscape architects, ecologists, academic plants-men and a garden designer. The overall concept for the gardens explores the paradox, as seen through the lens of contemporary biodiversity policy, of how gardens full of designed communities of non-native plant species, are arranged in culturally meaningful patterns to support extremely rich communities of native invertebrates and other fauna.

Gardens, in contrast to the notions inherent in the Olympic BAP (Biodiversity Action Plan), and indeed almost all contemporary biodiversity policy, are extraordinarily important for the conservation of native animal biodiversity in cities.

The Games brought about people from all over the world not only to celebrate sports, but also arts and culture. There are four garden spaces showcasing four major climatic and cultural zones of the world: Europe and the near East, EasternCentral North America, South Africa, and Temperate Asia.

They are arranged in the chronological order (running in a sequence and forming a living timeline) in which they were systematically explored from the Renaissance as a source of new plants for gardens. They also celebrate the great British passion for collecting plants from around the world and designing them into their gardens. Local residents and

Planting design: Initial inspiration for the planting design can be found in a style informed by the ecological principles originally inspired by William Robinson’s ‘The Wild Garden’ published in 1880s.

Within each garden space, plants are structured as naturalistic compositions that represent how they look in the wild.

These are then combined with cultural patterns that are more typical of gardens and traditional landscape design. The design counterpoints notions of how appearance and form of designed vegetation, in terms of wildness versus culture, might influence capacity to support wildlife, and how the public may see these two different styles of plant use.

The main focus in the Olympic Park as a whole is native biodiversity and ecological approaches.

GARDEN TYPES 1. Western Europe, the Mediterranean and Asia Minor.

2. The Temperate Americas.

3. The Southern Hemisphere; South Africa, Australia, New Zealand.

4. Temperate Asia, particularly Montane China, Japan and the Himalayas.

1). Western Europe, The Mediterranean and Asia Minor: These serve as a source of most garden plants from the classical civilizations but increasingly sampled with the accelerating development of international trade and travel post 1400 AD. 2). The Temperate Americas: Particularly important from 1600-1800, and now once more with interest in prairie and woodland planting. Still the main source of summer flower colour in British gardens.

3). The Southern Hemisphere; South Africa, Australia, New Zealand: Winter cold historically limited the possibilities in gardening terms for these plants but now with global warming these “strange and exotic” flora will now have their time again.

Floriculture Today March 2013 33

gardens 4). Temperate Asia, particularly Montane China, Japan and the Himalayas: Politically closed in many cases till the 19th century, climatic similarity to Britain makes these the dominant plant passion of the 19th and 20th centuries. .

The gardens are composed of three main elements:

are a designed or abstracted horticultural version of the native wildflower meadows of North Park, but using a range of species and cultivars from a wider geographical area.

FUNCTIONS A. Grasslands have been the source of a number of best herbaceous plants.

B) Monocultural ‘strips’ of ornamental grasses or structural perennials frame the main components of the gardens.

The field plantings in each garden represent a highly innovative approach to setting out naturalistic perennial plantings. Rather than having a detailed planting plan, it shows the location of every plant. Instead, the field plantings consist of carefully worked out mixtures of perennials that are laid out on a random basis according to their proportions in the mix.

This enables very large areas of planting to be set out in an efficient manner, and giving rise to a highly spontaneous visual effect.

WESTERN EUROPE GARDEN These gardens were popular during 1400 AD. These are source of most garden plants from the classical civilizations.

Designer of European Gardens: Chris Pinard.

The diverse grasslands of Europe have been the traditional backbone of agriculture for centuries. The beautiful spectacle of a wildflower meadow in full flower may seem to be the height of naturalness, but these diverse grasslands are in reality a human creation: the endproduct of that traditional agricultural management.

The reference point for the Western Europe garden is the lowland wildflower or hay meadow or grasslands. The wildflower meadow provides more natural effect to a garden. In many ways these plantings

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C. Have the highest biodiversity (or number of species) of all European habitats, but have all but disappeared from the countryside because of modern farming methods.

PLANTS OF WESTERN EUROPE GARDEN

A) Clipped formal evergreen hedges – create a permanent structure.

C) The ‘field’ plantings’ - determine the character of each garden.

B. They store as much carbon as all of Europe’s forests.

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A

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K B

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D

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gardens

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PLANT LIST OF WESTERN EUROPE GARDEN A) Crocus sp. Family- Iridaceae.

B) Narcissus sp. (Daffodils) FamilyAmaryllidaceae.

C) Primula vulgaris (Primrose) FamilyPrimulaceae .

S

D) Primula denticulata (Drumstick Primrose) Family-Primulaceae .

E) Lavatera trimestris (Mont Blanc) Family-Malvaceae.

F) Allium siculum (Bulgarian onion) Family- Alliaceae.

G) Galium odoratum (Woodruff)

Family- Rubiaceae.

H) C a m p a n u l a l a c t i f l o r a ( M i l k y Bellflower) Family-Campanulaceae.

I) Centaurea cyanus (Corn flower) Family-Asteraceae.

J) Epigaea repens (May flower,Trailing Arbutus) Family- Ericaceae.

K) Pelargonium sp.(Geranium) FamilyGeraniaceae.

L) Euphorbia palustris (Marsh Spurge) Family- Euphorbiaceae.

M) Leucanthemum superbum (Shasta Daisy) Family- Asteraceae .

N) Lychnis chalcedonica (Jerusalem cross) Family- Caryophyllaceae.

O) Lythrum salicaria (Loosestrife) Family- Lythraceae.

P) Phlomis russeliana (Turkish sage) Family- Labiatae.

Q) Succisa pratensis (Devils Bit Scabious) Family- Dipsacaceae.

R) Trollius europaeus (Globeflower) Family- Ranunculaceae.

S) Leucanthemum vulgare (Yellow Oxeye) Family-Asteraceae.

Floriculture Today March 2013 35

gardens NORTH AMERICAN PRAIRIE GARDEN These gardens were particularly important from 1600-1800 AD. Reference point: prairie and woodland planting.

The main source of summer flower colour in British gardens. “The name prairie was given by French fur trappers in the 18th century. Prairie refers to a grassland, but it also supports many summer and autumn flowering herbs.

These were once stretched from Manitoba to Texas, and also from the Appalachians to the Rockies. In the wild much of this vegetation is now lost, destroyed in the 19th century, replaced by corn. With only small fragments remaining; prairie has largely been reduced to a memory.

FUNCTIONS: v Many late summer and autumn flowering herbaceous plants in British Gardens are derived from Prairie (e.g.

Many Asters). v Prairie supports many summer and autumn flowering herbs. v The value of prairie plants for wildlife lies in the late supply of nectar and pollen, at a time when many British native flowers have long ceased flowering. v Both people and insects find many prairie plants pretty irresistible as these plants carry ornamental value.

PLANT LIST OF NORTH AMERICAN PRAIRIE GARDEN A) Oenothera macrocarpa (Evening Primrose) Family-Onagraceae.

B) Parthenium intregrifolium (WildQuinine flower) Family-Asteraceae.

C) Ruellia humilis (Wild Petunia) Family- Acanthaceae.

D) A s c l e p i a s t u b e r o s a ( B u t t e r f l y Milkweed) Family-Asclepiadaceae.

E) Erigeron strigosus (prairie Daisies) Family-Asteraceae.

F) Aster spp. Family- Asteraceae.

G) Echinacea purpurea (coneflower) Family-Asteraceae.

H) Callirhoe bushii (Bush’s poppy mallow) Family- Malvaceae.

I) Coreopsis tripteris (Tickseed) FamilyAsteraceae.

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PLANTS OF NORTH AMERICAN PRAIRIE GARDEN

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B

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J) Eryngium yuccifolium (Rattlesnake Master) Family-Apiaceae.

K) Geum triflorum (Prairie Smoke) Family-Rosaceae.

L) Porteranthus trifoliatus (Indian Physic/American Ipecac) FamilyRosaceae .

M) Liatris aspera (Tall Blazing Star) Family-Asteraceae.

N) Polemonium Reptans (Jacobs Ladder) Family-Polymoniaceae .

O) Silphium laciniatum (Compass Plant) Family-Asteraceae.

P) Yucca glauca (Soapweed Yucca) Family-Agavaceae.

Q) Verbena bonariensis (Verbena) Family-Verbenaceae.

M

P

Q

SOUTH AFRICAN GARDEN The major plant passion of the late 18th century-early 19th century is South Africa.

Winter cold historically limited the possibilities for these plants in gardening terms but now with global warming this “strange and exotic” flora will now have their time again.

These plants naturally grow in the mountain grasslands of the Drakensberg range, at altitudes of 2000-3000m, where the summers are mild and the winters bitterly cold (to-20C) but dry.

FUNCTIONS: v Most of the species flower in summer

gardens and grow between tussocky grasses, and have flowers that stick up in the air on the ends of tall naked stems hence attracting pollinating insects and birds.

With climate change, many of these plants will be much more widely used in the future in British Gardens, as will many Southern Hemisphere spp. that for most of the 20th century have been considered to be Tender.

PLANT LIST OF SOUTH AFRICAN GARDEN A) Agapanthus africanus(Lily of the Nile, African lily) Agapanthaceae.

B) Watsonia sp.(Bugle lily) Iridaceae.

C) Eucomis comosa (Pineapple lily, King’s flower) Liliaceae.

D) Cirsium vulgare (South African Thistle) Asteraceae.

E) Carex testacea(Orange New Zealand Sedge) Cyperaceae.

F) Themeda triandra (Kangaroo Grass) Poaceae.

G) Dierama pulcherrimum (Angel’s Fishing Rods) Iridaceae.

H) Eragrostis curvula (Weeping Love Grass) Poaceae.

I) Galtonia candicans (Cape Hyacinth) Liliaceae.

J) Gladiolus sp.(Butterfly gladiolus) Iridaceae.

K) Bracteantha bracteata (Everlasting Golden Strawflower) Asteraceae.

L) Kniphofia sp.(Red Hot Poker) Xanthorrhoeaceae.

M) Tritonia drakensbergensis (Flame Freesia) Iridaceae.

Temperate Asia Garden v Were not in much use till the 19th century. v Climatic similarity to Britain makes these the dominant plant passion of the 19th century and 20th century.

The great Victorian and 20th century plant collectors greatly enriched British gardens through their adventurous travels in the woodlands, mountains and meadows of China and Japan, bringing back exotic plants such as the magnificent Tiger Lily (Lilium tigrinum), and filling the great woodland gardens with exotic trees and shrubs.

PLANTS OF SOUTH AFRICAN GARDEN

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Features include sweeping swathes of different cultivars of Japanese anemone (Anemone japonica), Hostas and Irises, and large drifts of Tiger Lilies (Lilium tigrinum), with monocultural strips of Miscanthus and Calamagrostis x acutiflora ‘Karl Foerster’

The North American Garden, with Echinaceas and Verbena bonariensis

L

M

FUNCTIONS v Source of herbaceous plants of woodland glade, forest edge and grassland. v Has a greater emphasis on texture and foliage.

The South African section of the 2012 Garden, inspired by moist montane grassland.

Floriculture Today March 2013 37

gardens v

More structured character than the other contemporray gardens.

Plants of Temperate Asia Garden

PLANT LIST OF TEMPERATE ASIA GARDEN A) Iris chrysographes (Black Iris) Iridaceae.

B) Anemone hupehensis (Japanese Anenome ) Ranunculaceae.

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B

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C) Rosa sericea(Wingthorn Rose) Rosaceae.

D) Calamagrostis arundinacea var. brachytricha (Korean Feather Reed Grass) Poaceae.

E) Tigridia pavonia (Tiger flower/ Mexican shell flower) Iridaceae.

F)

D

E

F

Alopecurus/diaspore (Foxtail ) Poaceae.

G) Hosta plantaginea Plaintain lily (Red ,Tall Boy) Asparagaceae.

H) Miscanthus sinensis (Flamingo Japanese Silver Grass) Poaceae.

I)

Molinia caerulea caerulea(Moorhexe & Transparent Moor Grass) Poaceae

J)

Persicaria polymorpha (Giant Fleeceflower ) Polygonaceae.

K) Sanguisorba tenuifolia (Oriental burnet) Rosaceae.

L)

Persicaria amplexicaulis (Firetail Bistort) Polygonaceae.

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J

H

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K

Visitors to the garden complex invariably pass through three themed gardens that reflect the colours of the Olympic medals: Bronze, Silver and Gold;

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with each of the gardens having its own individual character, including elements of colour, fun and discovery. n

Floriculture becoming popular among Kathmandu farmers

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loriculture is gradually developing into an alternative means of incomegeneration in the southern belt of Kathmandu district. Farmers in the area are attracted towards floriculture and they are cultivating a variety of flowers by different methods to meet the increasing demand for flowers.

Flowers grown at the area are sold in Dakchhinkali all the year round as well as sold at different places

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of Kathmandu during Tihar festival.

Farmers in Chalnakhet, Talku Dude Chour, Sheshnarayan and Dakchhinkali are now growing flowers in a big way.

Advisor of the Shikharapur Sustainable Farmers’ Education Project, Pharping, Shashi Sharma Aryal, said that farmers are attracted towards floriculture as the demand of flowers has increased in the market and flowers grown by them are getting good price.

Floriculture Today March 2013 39

gardens

Gardens by the Bay

Singapore’s new nature attraction As you walk through each garden, discover the stories of the contribution from different ethnic groups towards Singapore’s formation. The Malay Garden, ‘a Reflection of Community,’ stresses the role of edible fruits and medicinal plants used by the local Malay population, while the Colonial Garden, ‘a Reflection of Ambition’, covers issues like plant transportation and profitable crops that have shaped Singapore’s history and economy

S

ingapore has brought a bit of the Mediterranean to Southeast Asia with a new attraction called Gardens by the Bay, which includes greenhouses that have to be cooled, not warmed, to a comfortable 23 degrees Celsius.

A 30- metre- high waterfall whooshes into the depths, fog hangs in the air, a strong wind blows, leaves rustle in the trees, insects chirp and apes cry out: the scene has all the elements of a perfect cloud forest. But the fog is sprayed in, the animal and insect sounds are from a tape recording and the waterfall is run by an enormous generator.

Some of the attractions are: Flower Dome Enter a world of perpetual spring, where unique plants bloom in an ever

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changing display of flowers. Discover plants from the Mediterranean and semiarid subtropical regions. Now get ready to be amazed by nature.

Step into the Flower Dome and you’ll be standing in awe of nature. Spectacular and innovative in design, it is one of the icons of Bay South Garden. The Flower Dome replicates the cool-dry climate of

Mediterranean regions like South Africa, California and parts of Spain and Italy.

Home to a collection of plants from deserts all over the world, it showcases the adaptations of plants to arid environments.

Stop and smell the flowers in the colourful changing displays of the Flower Field, which reflects different seasons, festivals and themes.

gardens Enjoy a cooling and leisurely stroll through the Flower Dome and experience the eerie profile of the baobabs, surrounded by fascinating succulents. Immerse yourself in the spectacular view of the Marina reservoir skyline, as you embark on your journey through the Mediterranean Basin, South West Australia, South Africa, Central Chile and California. You’ll discover amazing plants and flowers from different corners of the globe, and you’ll be amazed by how different parts of the trees are used in daily lives across different cultures.

Dazzling Changing Flower Display A season of bounty beckons with a sea of rich gold and warm amber as the Flower Field unveils the latest Autumn Harvest display. Spot the harvest crops of pumpkins, corn, cabbages, amongst blooms of Sunflowers, Marigolds, and Chrysanthemums.

Succulent Garden Seascape Ever thought you would see fishes, sea urchins or coral reefs in the desert?

Keep your eyes peeled for the under-thesea scene as you drop by the Succulent Garden. See if you can spot the various sea creatures and remember to take a photo with them!

Amazing Adaptations, Hands-on Fun! Before you leave the Flower Dome, stop and learn about the lifecycle and pollination of the baobab and banksia trees or the role of animals in the plant ecosystem on the multimedia screens. Have hands-on fun playing with the interactive wall and discover how the little things we do affect nature.

Cloud Forest Step out of the concrete jungle into a realm high in the mountains where you can learn about rare plants their fastdisappearing environment.

Take in breathtaking mountain views surrounded by diverse vegetation and hidden floral gems that disappear into the clouds.

The Cool-Moist Conservatory Enter the Cloud Forest, a mysterious world veiled in mist; entirely different from the Flower Dome. A 35-metre tall

mountain covered in lush vegetation shrouding the world’s tallest indoor waterfall showcases plant life from tropical highlands up to 2,000-metres above sea level.

Ascend to the mountaintop in comfort by lift before descending via two walkways in the clouds for an aerial view of the canopy and mountainside below. Learn about unique biodiversity and geology of cloud forests and the environmental threats they face within the nine unique zones in this cool-moist Conservatory.

Planted Walls Our mountain has been densely planted with a mixture of fascinating orchids, delicate ferns, colourful bromeliads, dazzling begonias and menacing carnivorous pitcher plants. All of these are epiphytic and live on top of other plants in nature, requiring little substrate and are perfectly adapted for growing on vertical walls.

World of Plants The botanical world is beautiful, intriguing and always full of surprises!

Venture into a realm of lush greenery and learn all about the spectacular myriad of tropical plants and the systems these plants support.

Stroll along the delectable World of Plants in a multi-sensory encounter with nature. Find out how plants disperse their seeds, how mushrooms benefit rainforest communities, how plants adapt to adverse environments and see some of the most primitive plants on earth all here in a World of Plants waiting to be explored!

Enjoy the sights of flowers and fruits in bloom, and check out the tropical lowland palms that contribute oil and shelter to Man’s purposes. Venture into the Secret Life of Trees, where visitors will learn how to identify different types of tree species.

At the Web of Life, take in the impressive sight of topiary animals such as the orangutan, pangolin and hornbill. With a new discovery waiting to be unveiled at every corner and turn, get reacquainted with a whole other world outside of the city.

Different types of tree bark Tree leaves and flowers may be out of reach but if you want to find out the name of a plant, the texture of its bark may hold important clues.

Bay East Garden Beautiful pavilions, wide open lawns, swaying palm trees and waist-high flowering shrubs welcome you at Bay East Garden, where you can admire the modern Marina Bay financial district skyline from along its 2km waterfront promenade.

Find serenity at this interim garden, as you sit along the promenade with a good read or grab your camera and snap breathtaking views of the iconic Conservatories and Supertrees against the Marina skyline. Enjoy a quaint stroll, family picnic or simply immerse yourself in a variety of recreational activities amidst this picturesque landscape.

Bay East Gardens is accessible via public bus service 158, or by walking across from Marina Barrage, which is just 5 minutes away. Parking facilities are also available at Bay East Gardens at prevailing rates. Entry to Bay East is via Tanjong Rhu Road.

Developed as an interim garden, future development plans for Bay East Garden will be based on the theme of water.

Heritage Gardens The Heritage Gardens is a collection of four themed gardens that will take you through the history and culture of Singapore’s three main ethnic groups and colonial past.

As you walk through each garden, discover the stories of the contribution from different ethnic groups towards Singapore’s formation. The Malay Garden, ‘a Reflection of Community,’ stresses the role of edible fruits and medicinal plants used by the local Malay population, while the Colonial Garden, ‘a Reflection of Ambition’, covers issues like plant transportation and profitable crops that have shaped Singapore’s history and economy.

Four Horticultural Treasures Have you ever wondered why the British chose Singapore as a trading port, or how the indigenous Malays lived in precolonial Singapore? What is the connection between literature and poetry in China, or religion and reflection in India? Explore the Chinese, Malay, Indian, and Colonialthemed gardens and unearth the roots of Singapore’s diverse history and culture through the fascinating story of plants. n Floriculture Today March 2013 41

environment

Balihari Qudrat Vasya

Mission: Greener India – Green Economy 21st Century Environment & Sustainability – Kamaljeet Singh

Heritage Tree Register – Community of Trees – Tree Value Preview / Key Questions / Actions Proposed

Agri, Landscape Horticulturist Ecological Planner Ex Chief Horticulturist, ITC Hotel, The Mughal, Agra

* Heritage tree zones/ Green zones are inspirable part of our live in environment like our loving human relationships. * 21st Century “Environment India” needs more responsible actions on our heritage tree zones. * The heritage tree zones today are fast loosing ground where they are growing for centuries * The “Tree Value” is asking us to review our relationship with communities of trees. * We need to understand and review our sensitivities for century old trees in our race against development process. * Somebody can tell me – idiot we care little for human population-values than how we can care for heritage tree zones – green zones!!? Fine ….. * My submission will remain stronger greener-though call me idiot – as 90% Indian are idiot and I am one of them…. * Like population register we need to develop a “ Heritage tree Register” sooner.

As early as possible, I see an exercise on this subject being carried out in recent

past. There is a heritage tree map of India at WWF office at Delhi & on Net. * Besides above, “The Slaughter of Heritage Trees" continues in the name of ‘development’ developing highways, flyovers spaces for human settlements. * Let us not forget that heritage tree zones play a greater role in “ground water” recharge than our cry for rain water harvesting budget spending! * We love heritage trees religiously… no doubt! But not all of them which exist elsewhere. * Times of India, Nov. 29, 2012 highlight “Choaking of trees” in Delhi the capital of India where lot of environment awareness exists! [clipping] * Another 100 year old tree-the heritage tree [Hindustan times 07th May, 2012] is asking for “Tree Maintenance”. The citizines like Atiq Ahmed reporting from Bareily. Thanks to Oliver Fredrick report. * We need to honour such tree lovers with “Heritage tree protection award. * We need to start a “Heritage Tree Protection” movement.

A movement in all 35 states/U.T. of India; In all 640 districts; in all 5924 subdistricts; in all 7935 towns; in all 6,40,867 villages. * “Heritage Tree Festival” is need of the hour in 21st Century because we need to stall the disaster. The disaster which is brewing in cup of coffee. * The Deccan chronicle 8th June 2011 – reporting for Mangalore where NH 66 work took place. The

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“Heritage Tree Value” for century old huge Kundapur trees was arrived at Rs 1089 / tree. So Rs 1.96 crore were paid by NHAI to forest department. How sad – how sensitive we are towards our heritage – we keep claiming we love heritage trees. * Planting saplings after cutting huge trees is adding insult to injuries inflicted on human memories living across the country. * This is happening when we are just through with the recently concluded UNEP’s Biodiversity Convention in India-Oct. 2012 (Ref. Dec. 2012 issue of Floriculture Today) * We need to awaken… be more sensitive to our “Green zones – Heritage Tree Zones”. All agencies involved in process of development – need to coordinate and spend tax payers money in more meaningful way. Achieving targets of Greener India – Green Economy for generation next hold promise that we should not overlook.

Tree value estimation: * To me “Tree Value” of a 100 year evergreen / deciduous tree is Rs 1.0 crore.

Thereafter the value tends to increase at the rate of Rs 10.0 Lakh per decade (@Rs 10.0 lakh/decade). * Thus, exact tree value of 18,000 Kundapur, Mangalore Trees, at a minimum age of 100 years stands at Rs. 18,000 crores.

Understand a concern for Mangalore region. * Need to mention, there are Mango trees on highway near Amritsar – fruiting beautifully. We need to remain alert while six laning or 8 laning Highway Amritsar to Delhi.

The above route today stands without trees upto Delhi. www.balihariqudratvasya.com

Floriculture Today March 2013 43

flowerquality

Anthurium

Techniques for enhancing post-harvest quality

by Sunil Kumar & Krishna S. Tomar (College of Horticulture and Forestry, Central Agriculture University, Pasighat, Arunachal Pradesh)

A

nthurium (Anthurium andreanum) is an evergreen, tropical, perennial herbaceous plant grown for showy cut flowers valued for colourful, long lasting, cylindrical spadix subtended in large heart shaped spathe and unusually attractive foliage. Commonly, called as Flamingo flower or Flamingo lily is ideal for beds, borders, pots and suites very well for floral arrangements. The spathe and spadix are brilliantly coloured ranging from scarlet, red, salmon, orange, pink and white but red is the most preferred colour.

Anthurium cut flowers are highly perishable, prone to post-harvest losses and necessitate utmost care. Anthurium cut flowers survive without much deterioration for about two weeks by nature. However, quality of cut flowers depends on stage of harvest, pre-harvest factors and post-harvest handling. Post harvest management involves the steps for the improvement in keeping quality of the flower to the consumer. Factors affecting the post-harvest quality are pre-harvest factors viz. genetical, environmental (temperature, relative humidity, light), nutrition, irrigation and other cultural practices contribute to 70 per cent and remaining 30 per cent is determined through the post harvest management viz. stage, time and method of harvest, pre-cooling, bunching, packaging, storage and use of floral preservatives.

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Floriculture Today March 2013

Packaging of cut flowers

Packaged anthurium cut flowers

Pre-requisites for Post-harvest Quality of Anthurium Cut Flower v The size, shape, colour and texture of the spathe v A heart shaped symmetrical spathe with overlapping or fused lobes v While packing, the spadix should be shorter than spathe and reclined artistically and gently v The spathe should be free from any

Ideal anthurium cut flower for harvest

kind of damage and infestation v Straight and sturdy flower stems with shorter internodes Pre-harvest Factors The spathe of anthurium is tender and subject to bruising and colour fading due to handling and calcium deficiency.

Also, high nitrogenous fertilizer reduces and moderate to high potassium levels

flowerquality improve post harvest life. Apart from environmental, nutrition and cultural factors, the most important aspect is selection of variety which determines the future of the produce. There are three types of anthurium flowers, namely standard, obake and tulip. The most common type is standard varies in size 12x11 cm to 20x18 cm, heart shaped, spathe lobes often overlap. Obake types are bicolour, popular for their two tone colouration. The tulip types have medium size cupped spathe with a straight and erect spadix.

Anthurium Variety Must Have v Compact plants with short internodes producing suckers profusely v Bright coloured, showy, heart shaped spathe with plenty of blisters and symmetrical overlapping of basal lobes v Spadix shorter in length than spathe, reclining to the spathe on an angle of less than 300 v Erect, long flower stem about five times the length of the spathe v Resistant to common diseases and pests Stage of Harvest Anthurium blooms throughout the year. The flowers are harvested when spadix is almost fully developed and cut preferably in the morning. The best stage of harvesting flowers is one-third to twothird of the true flowers on the spadix open. Flowers are cut with sharp knife/ secateurs leaving 3 cm on the mother plant to prevent basal rotting. The flowers should be placed immediately in water after cutting.

Pre-cooling Anthurium is stored in water at 130 C for 3-5 weeks. Flowers are very sensitive to low temperature. Storage below 130 C causes darkening of spathe. Red coloured cultivars are more susceptible to chilling injury.

Pulsing: Pulsing with 100 ppm silver Nitrate for 45 minutes maintain water uptake and respiration. Before transportation, pulsing with 25 ppm Silver Nitrate for 10 minutes or Benzyl Adenine (BA) at 150 ppm for 8 hours improves the vase life of cut flowers.

Vase Life Anthuriums survive without much deterioration for about two weeks by nature. Commercial floral preservative viz. floralife, everbloom and roselife increases vase life 2-3 times in compare to normal condition. Waxing and use of antitranspirants on the spathe also improves longevity of cut flowers.

Grading Anthurium flowers are graded on the basis of the size of their spathe. The minimum spathe size should be 3-9 cm with stem length of 30 cm. Hawiian cultivars have four grades namely extra, fancy, choice and standard. The spathe size (L+W/2) may be specified with conjunction to the grade as miniature (less than 7.5 cm), small (9.5-10 cm), large (12.5-15 cm) and extra large (more than 15 cm).

Packaging Flowers are packed in corrugated cardboard boxes. The box is lined with polythene sheets and layers of newspaper.

120 Nos. of cut anthurium are packed in a 102x43x29 cm box with their spathe face down and their stem interwoven.

Moist shredded newspaper is inserted to provide cushion and maintains humidity.

Covering each flower with waxed tissue or polyethylene envelop to reduce mechanical damage, before packing is also practised.

Storage The temperature during storage greatly determines the post-harvest life of flowers. High temperature in storage declines the vase life of flower due to high rates of transpiration and respiration, whereas, low temperature is subjected to chilling injury. Therefore, optimum storage temperature for anthurium cut flowers should be 13째 C. Maintenance Of Cool Chain It is important to maintain the cool chain while transporting the flowers.

Reefer vans should be preferred for transportation. In the absence of reefer van, ice can be used to bring down the temperature in the box. Overall precooling of flowers and maintaining the cool chain with appropriate packing will help in realizing better price for the flowers in the market.

Physiological Disorders 1. Flower abortion, flower deformation and rosette formation

Flower on spadix aborts, growth of the spathe is stunted and stem of the flower is short. This disorder is mainly genetic dependent, but can be prevented by restricting root pressure, promoting plant activity, reduction in temperature, rapid ventilation, cooling and humidification systems.

Excessive root pressure can be restricted by reducing irrigation and raising EC of the media.

2.

Cracks: This disorder often occurs at the margin of the spathe during active growth period with temporarily higher relative humidity. Lower humidity during the night is best possible remedy to reduce cracks.

3.

Folder Ears: The basal lobe of the flowers is not fully unfolded during the early stage. This disorder is variety dependent. There is no known remedy.

4.

Sticking: In this case, flower does not open because the spathe is stuck.

Sticking is variety dependent and occurs specially during rapid growth period. Lower relative humidity is best possible remedy to reduce sticking. Loosening of the flowers by hand at early stage can also minimise this disorder.

5.

Jamming: Jamming is strong variety dependent characteristics that more frequently occurs under arid conditions. The flowers jams in the sheath, since, the leaves is wound too tightly around the flower. Such disorder occurs more frequently in cultivars with long sheaths. Keeping the growing media relatively moist is the best remedy. n

Floriculture Today March 2013 45

Research

Plants are sensitive to

O

touch

f the five senses of touch (tactile), smell (olfactory), sight (visual), taste (gustatory) and hearing (aural), what are the ones that plants possess or respond to? This question has attracted scientists and gardeners alike. Of course, plants are masters in the art of capturing light and using it to grow and to make food. When it comes to their response to sounds (hearing), amateur gardeners swear ‘by personal experience’ that plants respond to your talking to them or to music.

Scientists dismiss this as romantic and not real. But do plants respond and react to smells or to taste? This question is wide open and science is yet to provide definite answers.

But the response and reaction of plants to touch is an issue that is becoming clearer. Yes, plants react to touch and not only adjust their biochemical reactions but also adapt their size, shape and safety. This response is referred in scientific literature by the tongue-twister thigmorphogenesis. Trees subjected to winds tend to reduce their length and thicken their trunks. Plants respond to touch — the famous examples are the shy and reclusive “touch-me-not” (mimosa pudica) and the rogue meat eater ‘Venus fly trap’ (dionaea muscipula), but beside these, just every plant responds to touch or vibrations — be if from rainfall, wind or touch. And the model plant that plant scientists prefer to use is Arabidopsis thaliana (a member of the mustard family with a six-week life cycle, prolific in seeds, easily cultivated in pots, with plenty of mutants, and whose genomic DNA has been sequenced; essentially the botanist’se. coli or drosophila the fruitfly). When its leaves are gently cradled back and forth

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by D. Balasubramanian

during its developmental or growth periods, it tends to flower late, shorten its stem and produce shorter petioles.

The research group of Dr Janet Braam of Rice University in Houston, Texas, U.S., has been studying the mechanism of the thigmorphogenesis of arabidopsis for quite some time. In their latest paper (Current Biology, 22, 701–706, 2012), they show that much of this is effected by the molecule called jasmonate. As the name reveals, jasmonate is abundant in the oil obtained from the jasmine plant. Besides its pleasant smell, jasmonate is found to be a plant hormone that triggers a whole host of processes in the biochemistry, cell biology and defence (or protection, immunity if you will) of the plant. In the above paper, the Braam group shows that jasmonate protects the plant against pests.

The experiments involved gently touching and rocking the plant for a while. The more they touched the plants in the experiments, the more jasmonate the plant produced. The plant itself delayed flowering, with shorter flower stems and leaf clusters. These results suggested that when a pest lands on the plant in order to eat it, the “host” plant reacts to resist or defends itself by jasmonate — induced thigmophogenes.

The plant hormone sets off to turn on a whole host of genes in the plant that not only adjust its growth pattern but also its resistance to pest attack. This latter effect became clear when they tested the susceptibility of a fungus invader that they introduced from outside. Plants that were touched often showed higher resistance to the fungus and to another pest called cabbage looper.

Braam concludes saying that mechanically stimulated plants may by primed for defence and have greater resistance to plant invaders. “Perhaps

wind, a critical mechanism for fungal spore dispersal, prepares plants for potential infection, and the mechanical perturbation caused by alighting insects or passing larger animals triggers jasmonate production to activate anti-herbivore defences in case the interaction becomes an attack. Despite the apparent quiescence of their life style, plants are well- equipped to mount defences to withstand the often violent environments in which they live” write the authors in their above Current Biology paper.

Enthusiasts will of course ask whether visual and tactile senses are the only two senses that plants possess or respond to; and some may even claim that they respond to sounds. Recall the report in the April 12, 2012 issue of The Hindu (http://www.thehindu.com/scitech/article3304060.ece), which refers to the work by Dr. Monica Gagliano and others from the University of Western Australia. These researchers established that young roots of corn made regular clicking sounds. They also found that young corn roots suspended in water leaned toward the source of a continuous sound emitted in the region of 220Hz, which is within the frequency range that the same roots emitted themselves (called plant bioacoustics, this paper was published in Trends Plant Sci. 2012 Jun;17: 323-5).

Don’t rush in immediately to state that we knew this all along, our musicians have done this, and have even chosen specific ragams to elicit chosen responses. There is a lot of stuff of this kind on the web — that needs to be proven by rigorous study, analysis of the mechanisms, independent repeatability of the experiments and results, and other scientific studies. Until then, the jury is out! n

Floriculture Today March 2013 47

Climbers

Garlic Vine

A Marvellous climber

by Rohini, N., Selvakumari, P., Saranyadevi, G., and V. Lakshmanan (Dept. of Vegetable crops, HC & RI, Periyakulam)

Common name: Garlic vine Botanical name: Mansoa alliacea, Family: Bignoniaceae Synonyms: Bignonia alliacea, Adenocalymma alliaceum,Pseudocalymma alliaceum Garlic vine (Mansoa alliacea) is a woody vine. The leaves of this vine, when crushed smell nearly the same as crushed garlic. It is a native plant of Brazil and Peru. It’s a ornamental plant in Thailand because of its attractive pink flowers. Also known as ajos sacha (“false garlic” in Spanish), this herb displays a flower that fades through a sequence of eye-grabbing colors and features garlic-scented leaves that double as a source of medicine as well as a flavourful kitchen spice. The entire plant such as roots stems and leaves have medicinal uses and are used to reduce fevers, treat colds, throat, and respiratory troubles.

Plant description Garlic vine is a shrubby vine, with numerous woody vines from the roots that grow 2 to 3 meters to a shrub-like appearance. Leaves are ovate, up to 15 centimeters long, with acute tip, leathery, dull to bright green. Flowers are in clusters, borne at the axils of leaves. The flowers are trumpet shaped and transforms into three different colors. It starts as purple, to lavender and fades to white in the end.

It is recommended to grow it on a strong timber trellis in an exposed area where it can receive direct sunshine for most of the day.

Soil and climate Garlic Vines should be planted into well drained soil in a full sun or light shade spot. It also does well in almost any soil, including poor, sandy soils. It can be grown as a loose flowy bush, but it is most attractive on supports, fences,

Scientific names

Common names

Pachyptera alliacea (Lamk.)

Fake garlic

Bignonia alliacea

False garlic

Adenocalymma alliaceum

Garlic vine

Adenocalymma pachypus

Purple garlic vine

Adenocalymma sagotii

Wild garlic

Mansoa alliacea (Lam.) Ajos sacha Pseudocalymma alliaceum Pseudocalymma pachypus Pseudocalymma sagotti

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trellises, pergolas, etc. It can be grown from sea level to 900 m in elevation. It is a vigorous grower and establishes quickly.

Each plant will grow large enough to fill a 6x6m space easily. It is best to grow it in well-drained soil that is mulched at the base with compost to keep the roots cool and moist. Keep it well-watered so that plants do not shed its lower leaves which can make vines look straggly. It requires little care and may be used as an arbor or fence cover.

Propagation This plant is easy to propagate. The cuttings about 3 nodes are used for propagation. Semi-hardwood cuttings can be taken for propagation. Each stem should have at least 3 nodes and can be stuck into a mixture of sand and compost to start the rooting process, after removing some leaves to reduce water loss. Rooting hormone powder is usually not needed.

Pruning Like many other flowering vines, the garlic vine should not be overly pruned as flower buds appear on new growth. Many gardeners make this mistake by pruning away the vines to keep new growth in check and as a result, plants refuse to produce flowers.

Flowering This vine is not a constant bloomer. The entire vine can be covered with flowers.

Flowers are trumpet-shaped and produced in dense clusters. Each starts off purple and changes to a lighter shade of lavender with age and finally fading to white before it turns brown and drops off from the vine.

At any one time, one can see three different floral colours on the plant. n

Floriculture Today March 2013 49

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Jasmine

Iron deficiency in

Jasmine

by M.Jawaharlal, M.Ganga and P.Mekala

J

asmine is one of the important commercial loose flower crops known for its intoxicating perfume emitted from its flowers. India, especially South India, is the leading producer of jasmines.

The flower is used for adorning hairs, perfume extraction and landscaping.

In Tamil Nadu, jasmines are grown in an area of 14,318 ha with an annual production of 1,17,848 MT (2011). There are 200 species in jasmine, among them three species viz., J. sambac (Gundumalli), J. grandiflorum (Pitchi) and J. auriculatum (Mullai) are commercially important. Jasmines respond well to intensive manuring. From the above commercial species of the jasmine, J. sambac (Gundumalli) is highly vulnerable to iron deficiency. Too much of manuring encourages the vegetative growth, causes nutrient deficiency and hampers quality and quantity of blooms.

A chemical analysis of the plant ash, i.e., the residue left after dry matter of the plant is completely burnt, would show that the plants contain 40 different elements.

Some of these elements are necessary for the plant growth and development and they are called the essential elements and the other elements are called non-essential elements. There are two main criteria in the essentiality of the elements. Firstly, an element is essential if the plant cannot complete its life cycle in the absence of

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that element and secondly, an element is essential if it forms part of any molecule or constituent of the plant. Nearly 17 elements are essential for plant growth and development. They are Carbon (C), Hydrogen (H), Oxygen (O), Nitrogen (N), Phosphorous (P), Potassium (K), Calcium (Ca), Sulphur (S), Magnesium (Mg), Iron (Fe), Manganese (Mn), Zinc (Zn), Boron (B), Copper (Cu), Nickel (Ni), Chlorine (Cl) and Molybdenum (Mo). Some others are Aluminium (Al), Silicon (Si), Selenium (Se), Sodium (Na), Cobalt (Co), Vanadium (Vd) and Gallium (Ga).

The essential elements which are required for the plants in comparatively larger amount (1000 mg or more/ kg of dry matter) are called major elements or macro nutrients. They are C, H, O, N, P, K, Ca,

Iron is needed to produce chlorophyll, hence its deficiency causes chlorosis.

Since, iron has a low mobility in plants; iron deficiency symptoms appear first on the youngest leaves. These iron-deficient leaves show strong chlorosis at the base of the leaves with some green netting.

Symptoms include leaves turning yellow or brown in the margins between the veins which may remain green, while young leaves may appear to be bleached S, Mg), whereas those essential elements which are required in comparatively lower amounts (less than 100 mg/ kg of dry matter or trace) are called minor elements or micronutrients (Fe, Mn, Zn, B, Cu, Ni, Cl and Mo). Iron is an important micronutrient for plant growth and development.

Specific role of iron: v Iron is an important constituent of iron porphyrin - protein like cytochromes peroxidases.

Iron deficiency symptom in Jasminum sambac (Gundumalli) leaves Leaf without iron deficiency Leaf with iron deficiency

Jasmine v It is essential for the synthesis of chlorophyll. Iron is not the structural part of chlorophyll but very much essential for its synthesis. It is very important constituent of ferrodoxin which plays important role in primary photochemical reaction in photosynthesis. v Fe is important for the respiration v An enzymatic activator, Iron is used in the active site of glutamyl-tRNA reductase, an enzyme needed for the formation of 5-Aminolevulinic acid which is a precursor of heme and chlorophyll.

Reasons for iron deficiency Among the different micronutrients,

Jasmine plant showing iron deficiency

iron plays a major role. Iron (Fe) deficiency is a plant disorder also known as “limeinduced chlorosis�. It can be confused with manganese deficiency. Iron can be unavailable for absorption for the plant if soil pH is less than 5 and above 6.5. So, ideal pH is around 6.0 to 6.5 Iron deficiency occurs during the following conditions Alkaline soil (the pH is above 6.5), irrigation water with high pH, calcareous soil with high pH (7 to 9) i.e., high concentration of HCO 3 (Bicarbonates), plants with root problems caused by mechanical injury, root rot diseases or nematodes may also exhibit Fe deficiency symptoms. Iron deficiency can develop if the soil is too waterlogged or if there is over fertilizing or wrong application and instability of fertilizers, and elements like calcium, zinc, manganese, phosphorus or copper can tie up iron if they are present in high amounts.

v

v

hence its deficiency causes chlorosis.

Since, iron has a low mobility in plants; iron deficiency symptoms appear first on the youngest leaves.

These iron-deficient leaves show strong chlorosis at the base of the leaves with some green netting.

Symptoms include leaves turning yellow or brown in the margins between the veins which may remain green, while young leaves may appear to be bleached.

Severe iron deficiency v The bleached areas often develop

necrotic spots. v In severe cases, new leaves may Necrotic spots

Iron deficiency symptoms in Jasminum sambac v Iron is needed to produce chlorophyll,

Floriculture Today March 2013 53

Jasmine v

emerge reduced in size and nearly white in color When the deficiency is severe, leaves

Leaf colour in Jasmine (J.sambac cv. Gundumalli) Iron deficient leaf colour indication Normal leaf colour indication in RHS colour chart in RHS colour chart

Reduced leaf size

completely turn white, which will recover upon application of iron. In the recovery phase, the veins are the first to recover as indicated by their bright green color. v This distinct venial re-greening observed during iron recovery is probably the most recognizable symptom in all of classical plant nutrition.

Control measures Affected flower bud and normal flower bud

The Royal Horticultural Society’s Colour Chart, Fan 2, (2011 edition) YELLOW - GREEN GROUP- N144 B, London

v Water logging condition should be avoided v Spray of FeSo4 0.5% at monthly interval v Proper nutrient management is Normal flower without deficiency

Opened flower with iron deficiency

v

v

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Iron deficiency can be avoided by choosing appropriate soil conditions for crop growth Artificial modification of pH of the soil solution through application of organic or inorganic acids to reduce pH in their rhizosphere. Lowering the pH can solubilize Fe3+ and

Floriculture Today March 2013

once after pruning and again during June-July

promotes it’s reduction to Fe2+ which is the unavailable form of iron v pH can reduced by adding well-rotted manure 10 kg/ pit while planting or compost

essential to avoid over- fertilization TNAU nutrient recommendation for Jasminum sambac v Dosage of nutrients: FYM - 10 kg/ pit, NPK - 120:240:120 g/plant v

Frequency of application: Two split doses of NPK @ 60:120:120 g / plant,

The Royal Horticultural Society’s Colour Chart, Fan 2, (2011 edition) GREEN GROUP- 141 B, London

v

Mode of application: Major nutrients are applied directly to the soil through direct application or fertigation.

Micro nutrients are generally applied through foliar application.

Deficiency identification through RHS colour chart The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart is the standard reference for plant colour identification. The chart has been specially developed to match nature’s own colours, and thus it has become such a useful tool for nutrient deficiency also. The colours are arranged in four easy-to-use fans and each colour patch has a central porthole which can be laid over the object being matched. Nutrient deficiencies can be easily identified using the colour chart. n (The authors belong to the Department of Floriculture and Landscaping Tamil Nadu Agricultural University Coimbatore)

Reach Over 11000 APEDA Members

Floriculture Today March 2013 55

aroundthestate

Floriculture Development OverTwo Decades in Tamil Nadu

by S. Karthikeyan and M. Jawaharlal Department of Floriculture and Landscaping, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore

Flower F

Freshness and Fragrance

L Love and Life O Optimism and Offering W

Worship and Wondrous creation

E Enthusiasm and Ecstasy R Radiating Grace and Compassion

F

lowers are the most worthy significant part of human life right from birth to till end. It has cherished a lot of accomplishments in every occasion of the enthralling life of an individual well being. The changing life styles, culture of people, urbanization, purchasing power of middle class, western culture mix, malls, exchanging flower bouquets, and flower arrangements lend way for this tremendous growth in the recent past for this floriculture industry. Flower cultivation as an agribusiness venture is now being considered as an industry.

The floriculture industry today has grown too much larger proportions

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and offers a wide scope for growth and profits. Floriculture industry comprises flower cultivation and trade, production of nursery plants, potted plants, seeds and bulbs, micro propagation and extraction of floral oils. Enormous genetic diversity, varied agro climatic

conditions, versatile human resources etc offer India a unique scope for judicious employment of existing resources and exploration of avenues yet untouched.

In horticulture sector, floriculture as a commercial venture is a most flourishing industry giving more returns per unit area which provides employment opportunities to local unemployed youths and self help groups. Unlike field crops, flowers are noteworthy in the recent past due to its high tech practices being followed for its culture.

India is having a rich biodiversity of floral wealth in nature. Of the two hot spots in India, Western Ghats with Nilgiris Biosphere Reserve, a major area in Tamil Nadu has rich genus of Orchids and other plant genus as well.

Tamil Nadu having a rich tradition and heritage for flowers since Sangam literature which is well noted from its Kurinji Pattu with 99 flowers. Moreover Tamil Nadu is having all diverse range of agro-climatic condition from tropics, sub tropics and temperate is well apt for growing loose flowers and exotic cut flowers.

The area under loose flowers production in Tamil Nadu is 32,000 hectares and the production is 2,88,640 MT (jasmine, chrysanthemum, marigold, rose, crossandra and nerium) (Source: NBH, 2011). Before 1990’s traditional loose flowers finds a prominent role in the floriculture and also in dayto-day usage by the people. Slowly, after liberalisation of economy during 1992, introduction of new greenhouse technology with hi- tech cultivation

aroundthestate

Cut flowers like rose, carnation, chrysanthemum, gerbera, orchids are sold in domestic markets and also exported to different countries. Now-adays loose flowers are gaining equal and due importance in domestic as well as export markets for expatriate Indians in the Gulf and US countries due to precision production and packaging technologies developed by the researchers

practises for exotic cut flowers came to prominence and gained its importance.

In Tamil Nadu, loose flowers are being grown in the areas of Sathyamangalam in Erode district, Coimbatore, Dindigul, Trichy and Kanyakumari districts and cut flowers gained momentum in the Hosur tracts, The Nilgiris, Shevroys and in the Upper Pulney hills. Speciality flowers like Bird of Paradise, Heliconia, Alpinia and Ethingera are grown in Kanyakumari districts of Tamil Nadu.

Cut flowers like rose, carnation, chrysanthemum, gerbera, orchids are sold in domestic markets and also exported to different countries. Nowa-days loose flowers are gaining equal and due importance in domestic as well as export markets for expatriate Indians in the Gulf and US countries due to precision production and packaging technologies developed by the researchers.

TANFLORA, a successful joint venture project supported by the Government of India and State Government of Tamil Nadu made a tremendous outlay for the floriculture promotion especially in cut rose production near Hosur with an area of 50 ha.

Source: NHM, 2011

Contribution of Tamil Nadu Agricultural University in the development of Floriculture sector in Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu Agricultural University

with its head quarters at Coimbatore, having a mandate of Teaching, Research and Extension is having a separate department for floriculture with its genesis during 1972. The department of floriculture at TNAU has contributed quite a good show of noteworthy to the flowers. The research in floriculture sector towards development by releasing elite varieties in Jasmine, chrysanthemum, marigold, hibiscus, barlaria, gladiolus, gerbera and technologies in jasmine, marigold, carnation, anthurium, dendrobium orchid, and chrysanthemum has yielded a good name for the institute.

TNAU role in supply chain management of flowers The department of floriculture during 2008 received a scheme “Value chain on flowers for domestic and export markets� under National Agricultural Innovation Project under ICAR which is in operation with a public-private partnership mode having prime objective of creating a supply chain management for major three flower crops viz., jasmine, marigold, carnation and a product dry flowers with a consortium based approach. The training programmes helped to take off the technologies developed to reach the ultimate end user (i.e.,) growers, entrepreneurs in a better and more easier way and aides in successful development of floriculture sector in the years to come in the Southern part of India particularly Tamil Nadu.

Floriculture in Tamil Nadu is sailing through different metamorphosis in its growth and development and even after a long period of time, it is still being considered as a potential field in Horticulture sector in the years to come.

Floriculture Today March 2013 57

event report

31st IRF Rose Show & Convention

Ahmad Alam Khan elected as President, IRF

T

Ahmed Alam Khan

Bureau Report

he Indian Rose Federation (IRF) organized its 31st All India Rose Show & Convention in Jabalpur, during 2 to 4 February. During the convention a general body meeting of The Indian Rose Federation was conducted and the election for the new Office Bearers for a term of 3 years was held on the 3rd February.

Khader Alam Khan

The New IRF Body During the elections the panel of Hyderabad Rose Society, consisting of Ahmed Alam Khan – President, Khader Alam Khan – Vice – President (South), Vijaykant – Secretary, Dr. Veerabhadra Rao – Treasurer & Mohammed Minhajul Hussain (Vakeel) – Joint Secretary (South) were elected with a thumping majority. The new body shall take charge from the 1st of April 2013 for a period of Three Years after the present Financial Year 2012 – 2013 ends from the present body.

Double Duty for A.A. Khan Ahmed Alam Khan the President Elect of The Indian Rose Federation who is the Secretary of the Hyderabad Rose Society has also been elected as Vice - President of the World Federation of Rose Societies (WFRS) during the Convention of WFRS held in Sandton City, South Africa in October 2012.

WFRS Conference During the Convention in South Africa, India was declared to host the Regional Conference of WFRS in December 2014, which is to be held in Hyderabad. Preparations for the 2014 Programme have already been initiated in a big way. A large number of Foreign Delegates are expected to participate along with Rosarians from all over the country.

Rose varieties at exhibition During the Rose Show in Jabalpur, a large number of Varieties of Roses consisting of Hybrid Tea, Floribunda, Miniature & Climbers were exhibited. The quality of the flowers exhibited was excellent and people turned in good numbers to enjoy the Roses exhibited from all over the country. The delegates from almost all the states participated in the Rose Show & Convention.

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Vijaykant

Dr. Veerabhadra Rao

M M Hussain (Vakeel)

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news

ADaRSH & TERI organize National Conference on Green Design points on the way forward for green habitats. On the sidelines of the conference, an exhibition showcasing green building materials, technologies and upcoming green projects was also held. Industry stakeholders and green building design consultants participated in the exhibition.

GRIHA LD: the new green rating system Today, approximately 10 million sqm of upcoming building footprint is registered under GRIHA. With more than 270 projects under its purview, GRIHA now covers over 20 states in India. Every year ADaRSH launches a new variant of GRIHA which is in line with the developments and requirements of the building sector. At the conference, ADaRSH also launched a new rating system for green large area developments, called ‘GRIHA LD’, which would address issues pertaining to site, water and waste and energy management.

ADaRSH along with The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) and Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) organized its flagship event the National Conference on Green Design (4th edition) in New Delhi on 14-15 February.

The two-day conference was attended by over 450 professionals from different disciplines like architecture, engineering, construction companies, financing institutes etc. This year’s conference was designed and organized for deliberations on issues pertaining to green urban development.

The conference aimed to bring together pioneers in the field of green buildings, including policy makers and researchers together on one platform to share their experiences and view-

Sensor detects plants in distress

S

cientists have developed a new sensor that can alert humans to the needs of their household plants — like the amount of sunlight or water required. The twopronged sensor can report on sunlight, temperature, water and fertiliser conditions by using low-power Bluetooth signals to send alerts. Dangerous conditions for plants may trigger extra warnings through the ‘Flower Power’ app on a person’s smartphone or tablet.

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Floriculture Today March 2013 63

news

Pune to get floriculture research centre soon

T

he directorate of floricultural research is to be set up in the city soon. The union government’s directorate will take a decision about the introduction of any new variety in the country.

About 10 hectares of land, which belongs to College of Agriculture in Shivajinagar, will be utilized for setting up the directorate. The polyhouses and a testing centre will come up in Hadapsar on about 35-40 hectares of land.

This was confirmed by Tukaram More, the vice chancellor of Mahatma Phule Krishi Vidyapeeth, who was participating in the XXII annual group meeting of All India Coordinated Research Project on Floriculture in the city.

Union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar, in a public function at the College of Agriculture, had mentioned that the ministry was looking for 100 acres of (close to 45 hectares) land for setting up the floricultural directorate. “It is almost finalized that the directorate will be set up in Pune. The required land is available here and we are waiting

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for sanctioning of funds,” said More referring to it. He refused to divulge further details.

The directorate’s Pune office will be the main centre for the country’s floricultural activities. More than 18 states in the country have floriculture projects where loose and cut flowers are grown and marketed.

The directorate will conduct studies and research on various local and imported flowers, develop new varieties, introduce fragrance in flowers, and develop varieties with longer shelf life and having different sizes which will be fit to be grown in varied climatic conditions. The expertise will subsequently be passed on to farmers across the country.

Speaking to TOI on conditions of anonymity, a senior officer from the horticulture department said, “Minimum 100 acres of land is required for setting up the directorate, which will come up in the premises of the College of Agriculture. It is confirmed that the office building will be set there while research related infrastructure will be

constructed in Hadapsar, where 65 to 70 acres of land owned by the college is available.”

The officer said that once the directorate starts functioning, indigenous varieties can be developed fast. Many polyhouse owners use imported saplings and have to pay a large share of their income as royalty to the companies abroad. The actual income of farmers is quite low.

The directorate will help in development of indigenous varieties of roses and other flowers and export them.

Umesh Srivastava, assistant director general of Indian Council of Agricultural Research, was also present at the meeting. “Floriculture projects have been set up on 1.90 lakh hectares of land in the country that produce 10.31 lakh loose flowers and 69.02 crore cut flowers. In the 2011-12 fiscal, floriculture export was worth Rs 365.32 crore and involved 300 export oriented units in the country. We mainly export to the UK, the Netherlands, Germany, Japan and UAE,” he said.

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Floriculture Today March 2013

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