Effect of biomass regulation on growth and development of Gloriosa superba L. tubers

Abstract

An experiment was conducted at the Department of medicinal and Aromatic Crops, TNAU, Coimbatore to the study the effect of biomass regulation by different methods of pruning techniques (removal of leaves, primary, secondary, tertiary branches and flowers along with control) on the growth and development of glory lily tubers. The results of the experiment revealed that pruning and beheading the tertiary branches at 60-90 DAP (T4) produced tubers with highest tuber weight (43.80 g), increased length of tuber (left arm-10.92 cm and right arm- 14.85 cm), tuber diameter (3.05 cm), tuber-root ratio (8.79), daughter tuber production(1.96) and starch content (29.62 mg/g). Whereas no pruning (T6) recorded increased fresh root weight (6.78 g), dry root weight (4.24 g) and root length (11.16 cm). The quality parameters viz. colchicine was increased in control (0.35%) followed by pruning and beheading of tertiary branches at 60-90 DAP (0.32%) which were on par with each other.