Commercial Floriculture

SECOND REVISED AND ENLARGED EDITION

S. Prasad Ex-Associate Professor of Horticulture

Rajasthan Agricultural University, Bikaner Dharm Singh

Managing Director Indian Medicinal Plant Marketing Federation, New Delhi

U. Kumar Managing Director

Agrobios (India), Jodhpur

AGROBIOS (INDIA)

Published by: AGROBIOS (INDIA) Agro House, Behind Nasrani Cinema Chopasani Road, Jodhpur 342 002 Phone: 91-0291-2642319, Fax: 2643993 E. mail: agrobios@sify.com; info@agrobiosindia.com Web Site: agrobiosindia.com

AGROBIOS (INDIA) All Rights Reserved, 2012 Agrobios (India) All rights reserved. No part of the book or part thereof, including the title of the book, be reprinted in any from or language without the written permission of the author and the publishers. The copyists shall be prosecuted. ISBN No. (13): 978-81-7754-373-5 Price: Rs. 1200.00 / US$ 60.00 Published by: Dr. Updesh Purohit for Agrobios (India), Jodhpur Lasertypeset at: Yashee Computers & Printers, Jodhpur Cover Design by: Reena Printed at: Bharat Printers, Jodhpur

Preface

Floriculture is one of the branches of agriculture. Indian commercial flower industry has the potential to become the leading flower industry of floriculture worldwide. This specialized food and ornamental-plant production businesses are grouped together in the section of agriculture that is known as horticulture. Ornamental horticulture more appropriately covers the complete industry of flower and ornamental plant production and landscaping.

Floriculture deals with cultivation, marketing and arranging of flowers and foliage plants. Flowers and ornamental plants have gained an important position in present day society. In fact, man has utilized flower to express his sentiments on occasions of social functions, wedding, birth days, funerals etc. In past, flowers were grown outdoors only and their quality and quantity was very much limited by the season.

The commercial floriculture includes production of cut flowers, foliage potted plants, bedding plant and growing and forcing bulbs and corms of flowering plants for wholesale and retail sales. The floriculture industry has become highly specialized as the floriculturist has to use many manipulative devices to see that there is a steady supply of flowers and foliage plants irrespective of seasons and minimum loss to the industry because of perishable nature of flowers.

The present book has been designed to meet out the requirements of a commercial flower grower. The book include chapters on Floriculture: A Greener Vision, World Scenario of Floriculture, The Flower, Control of Flowering, Vernalization: Promoting Flowering with Cold Temperature, Requirements for Commercial Flower Production, Greenhouse: An Artificial House for Plants, Plant Tissue Culture: Principles and Methodology, Economic Considerations of Plants Produced through Tissue Culture, Plant Growth Regulators and Flowering, Hydroponics, Selection of Flower Crop, Cultural Practices, Bedding Plants Production for Floriculture, Cut-Flower

Crops, Other Flower Crops, Dry Flower Production, Arrangement and Composition of Flowers.

We hope this book, apart from the catering the specific requirement of Floriculture students and researchers, will also be useful in the field of commercial flower grower/ industries. The authors are is deeply indebted to Dr. S. S. Purohit, Managing Director. Agrobios (India) for the valuable support. In preparing this book, we have received helps, suggestions and encouragements from various sources, we arte grateful to all of them.

Authors

Contents

1 Floriculture: A Greener Vision ............................... 1

Floriculture as a Career .............................................................................2 Commercial Floriculture ...........................................................................4

Cut Flowers ...........................................................................................4 Foliage Plants........................................................................................5 Bedding Plants.......................................................................................5

The Customer’s Need for Flowers and Ornamental Plants ......................6 Indian Cultural and Religious Practices ..............................................6 Emotional Needs....................................................................................6

Flowers in Industry....................................................................................6 Perfumery Industry ................................................................................7 Flowers as Blooming Industry ..............................................................7

Per Capita Consumption of Flowers .........................................................8 Floriculture: Production, Marketing Businesses and Trade Organizations9 Floriculture Business Competition..........................................................10 Sources of Supply for Commercial Flower ............................................11

2 World Scenario of Floriculture ............................. 12

Import Market and Channels...................................................................13 Floriculture in the Netherlands...........................................................15

Floriculture in Asia..................................................................................16 Hampering Factor for Export .............................................................17 China....................................................................................................18 Indonesia..............................................................................................19 Malaysia ..............................................................................................19 Philippines ...........................................................................................20 Sri Lanka..............................................................................................21 Thialand ...............................................................................................22

Vietnam ................................................................................................22 India .....................................................................................................23 Government Policy ..............................................................................43 UNDP Aid............................................................................................44 Orchids ................................................................................................44 Constrains............................................................................................45 We Need for Development...................................................................46 The Hope..............................................................................................47

3 The Flower............................................................. 49

What is a Flower? ....................................................................................50 Nature of Flowering ................................................................................51 Seasonal Growth Cycle ...........................................................................51

Annuals ................................................................................................52 Biennials ..............................................................................................52 Perennials ............................................................................................52

The Flower and its Parts ..........................................................................53 The Flower: A Modified Shoot ...............................................................55

Polygamous, Monoecious or Dioecious Plants ..................................58 Colour Range in Flowers.........................................................................59 Fragrance in Flowers ...............................................................................59 Abscission and Senescence of Flowers...................................................60 Developmental Stages of Flowering .......................................................60

The Shoot Apex and Phase Changes...................................................61 Origin and Development of Flower ........................................................66

Reproductive Shoot Apex ....................................................................67 Organogenesis .....................................................................................69 The Order of Three Developmental Phases........................................72 Nutrients, Hormones, and other Chemical Signals on Phase Changes74 Competent and Determined States in Floral Evocation.....................75

4 Control of Flowering ............................................. 77

Internal (Autonomous) ........................................................................78 External (Environmental)....................................................................78

Flowering and Environment Sensing ......................................................81 Flowering and Light Spectrum............................................................82 Flowering: Artificial Shading .............................................................82 Endogenous Rhythms ..........................................................................82 Flowering: Water Availability ............................................................84

Carbon: Nitrogen Ratio.......................................................................84 Temperature.........................................................................................85 Interactions between Temperature and Daylength.............................85 Flowering: High Temperature ............................................................86

Photoperiod and Flowering .....................................................................86 Photoperiodic Responses: Classification ...........................................87 Day Length by Measuring the Length of the Night.............................89

Circadian Rhythms: The Clock Within...................................................90 Endogenous Oscillator ........................................................................90 Circadian Rhythms Exhibit Characteristic Features .........................91 Phase Shifting Adjusts Circadian Rhythms to Different Day-Night

Cycles ..........................................................................................................92 Role of Phytochrome in Phase Shifting ..............................................93 Endogenous Oscillator and Photoperiodic Timekeeping...................93

The Photoperiodic Stimulus: Site of Perception.....................................95 Photo Perception in Detached Leaves ................................................96 Transmissible Inhibitors......................................................................96

Phytochrome and Flowering ...................................................................97 Phytochrome and Photoperiodism......................................................98 The Pfr-Requiring Reaction....................................................................99 The Night-Break (NB) Reaction..........................................................101 Differentially Stable Pools of Pfr...........................................................101 Phytochrome: Types.............................................................................101 Blue-Light Photoreceptor and Photoperiodism................................101 Phytochrome–Mediated Signal Transduction........................................102

5 Vernalization: Promoting Flowering with Cold Temperature ............................................... 103

Site of Vernalization ..........................................................................104 Vernalization is a Energy Requiring Process...................................105 Vernalization in a Cell-Autonomous Process ........................................105 Cold Induction ...................................................................................105 Vernalization is an Epigenetic Process ..................................................105 Interaction of Photoperiodism and Vernalization ............................106 Devernalization .................................................................................106

Flowering Genes and Floral Induction..................................................106 Process of Flower Initiation ..................................................................107

Florigen Concept ...................................................................................107 A Genetic Model ...................................................................................109 Biochemical Events during Flowering..................................................109

Factors Influencing Timing ...............................................................109

6 Requirements for Commercial Flower Production ........................................................... 112

Planing a Floriculture Project: A General Apporach............................112 Market Evaluation .................................................................................114 Funds Requirement for the Production .................................................114

Funds Requirements for tthe Retailers .............................................114 Funds for Financing a Greenhouse Business ...................................115

Personnel Requirements for Commercial Flower Production..............115 Site Selection for the Greenhouse .........................................................116

Topography of the Land ....................................................................117 Transportation in and Around the Greenhouse................................117 Utilities ..............................................................................................117

General Problems during Flower Cultivation .......................................119 The Growth Cycle..............................................................................121 Temperature and Humidity ...............................................................122 Light ...................................................................................................123 Watering ............................................................................................126 Feeding ..............................................................................................128 Repotting............................................................................................130

7 Greenhouse: An Artificial House for Plants ........ 133

Introduction............................................................................................133 Advantage of Greenhouse .....................................................................133 Types of Greenhouses ...........................................................................135

Classification of Greenhouses...........................................................135 Greenhouse Type based on Utility ....................................................138 Greenhouse Type based on Construction .........................................139 Greenhouse Type based on Covering Materials ..............................140 Rigid Panel Greenhouses ..................................................................142

Glass Greenhouses.................................................................................142 Film Plastic Greenhouses ......................................................................144

Role ....................................................................................................144 Types of Film Plastic .........................................................................145 Quonset-Style Greenhouse ................................................................149 Gutter-Connected Greenhouse..........................................................150 Greenhouse with Double-Layer Covering ........................................150

Rigid-Panel Greenhouses ......................................................................153

Polyvinyl Chloride.............................................................................153 Fiberglass-Reinforced Plastic...........................................................153 Acrylic and Polycarbonate................................................................155

Greenhouse Construction: Related Aspects..........................................156 Location .............................................................................................157

Framework for Various Types of Greenhouse .....................................164 Types of Greenhouse Covering Materials ........................................172

Covering Materials for Greenhouse ......................................................173 Fiberglass ..........................................................................................174 Poly Film ...........................................................................................176

Heating and Cooling of Greenhouse .....................................................177 Sensing Temperatures .......................................................................178 Sources of Heat..................................................................................178 Methods of Distributing Heat in Greenhouse...................................179 Conservation of Heat Energy in Greenhouses .................................180 Insulation of Greenhouse Roofs ........................................................180

Ventilation and Air-Movement Equipment for Greenhouses ..............181 The Principle of Ventilation and Air-Movement ..............................181 Air in the Greenhouse........................................................................183

Carbon Dioxide Generation Equipment in Greenhouse .......................183 Importance of Carbon Dioxide in Greenhouse ................................184

Greenhouse Benches .............................................................................184 Materials used for Greenhouse Benches ..........................................184 Greenhouse Benches for Cut-Flowers ..............................................185 Greenhouse Benches Pot-Plant.........................................................186 Arrangement of the Benches .............................................................186 Greenhouse Walks .............................................................................189

Working Room ......................................................................................189 Conveyors ..............................................................................................190 Cloth Houses..........................................................................................190 Lath Houses ...........................................................................................190 Bulb Storage ..........................................................................................191 General Storage .....................................................................................192 Boilers for the Greenhouse Heating System .........................................192

Operation of the Boiler......................................................................193 Draft System ......................................................................................193 Operation of the Boiler......................................................................193

Emergency Heating Equipment for Greenhouse ..................................194 Emergency, Standby Power...............................................................194 Figuring the Heat Requirement of the Greenhouse..........................195 Location of Heating Lines .................................................................196

Commercial Floriculture

Publisher : Agrobios Publishers ISBN : 9788177543735 Author : U Kumar,S PrasadAnd D Singh

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