Studies on clipping for the yield improvement in spider lily

Abstract

This study evaluated the studies on clipping for yield improvement in spider lily (Hymenocallis littoralis L.) under Konkan agro-climatic conditions during the Rabi season of 2024-25 at the College of Horticulture, Dr. Balasaheb Sawant Konkan Krishi Vidyapeeth, Dapoli, Maharashtra. The experiment was conducted using a Randomized Block Design (RBD) with three replications, encompassing nine treatment combinations involving two clipping heights (base and 50% of plant height) applied across four monthly intervals from September to December.Results demonstrated that clipping at 50% plant height in September (treatment C3) significantly enhanced vegetative growth, with maximum plant height (70.07 cm), leaf count (60.14), leaf area (203.21 cm²), and plant spread (65.31 cm). This treatment also optimized reproductive traits, yielding the earliest flower and spike emergence, longest spike length (58.42 cm), highest number of pickings (23.31), largest flower bud diameter (11.80 mm), heaviest individual flower buds (6.13 g), and maximum flowers per spike (7.88), flowers per plant (24.98), and flower buds per hectare (1.67 lakh). In contrast, the control (No clipping, C1) consistently produced the lowest values across all parameters. These findings underscore the efficacy of moderate clipping at the onset of the growing season in regulating physiological processes that enhance floral productivity. The data support adopting 50% clipping in September as a best management practice for spider lily cultivation in the Konkan region, with implications for improving ornamental yield and quality.