Growth, yield and quality of tuberose (Polianthes tuberosa L.) as influenced by raised bed system, mulching and planting geometry

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted to study the influence of raised bed system, mulching and planting geometry ongrowth, yield and quality of tuberose variety Prajwal. The experiment was laid out in a randomized block design withseventeen treatments replicated twice. The treatments include four raised bed system of 100 and 70 cm width with 50 and30 cm isolation with and without plastic mulch having two plant spacing of 30 x 30 cm and 30 x 15 cm. Crop was also raisedby conventional system of cultivation as checkwith ridge and furrow system spaced at 30 × 30 cm, applied with RDF @100: 50: 50 kg N:P2O5: K2O ha-1 without mulch. The effects of these treatments on growth, yield, and quality of tuberose werestudied. The treatments having closer spacing of 30 x 15 cm with mulch recorded significantly higher plant height. However,significantly higher plant spread, number of side shoots per plant and early flowering were recorded in the treatments havingwider spacing of 30 x 30 cm with mulch irrespective of bed system. The treatments having 100 /30 cm bed system with mulchof 3 rows planting at 30 × 15 cm recorded significantly higher flower yield (46.04 t/ha), bulb yield (27.29 t/ha), B:C ratio (4.38)whereas the least flower yield (11.46 t/ha) and bulb yield 7.43 t/ha) was recorded in farmers practice with least B:C ratio(1.04). However, superior flowers with higher flower diameter (3.18 cm), 100 floret weight (107.86 g) and shelf life (8.50 days)were noticed in the treatments having 70 /50 cm bed system with mulch of 2 rows spaced at 30×30 cm.