Seed Production-
Flowers
The production of
propagating material like seeds, bulbs, live plants is being done conventionally and these
materials are being sold. Successful nurserymen are making handsome money. There are a few
nurseries reputed for true-to-type and reliable plant material.
Orchids
In case of Orchids
Seeds are non-endospermic or endospermic or endosperm nucleus and are produced in large
numbers extremely light and with undifferentiated embryo. As many as 40,00,000
seeds/capsule are produced. The seeds are dispersed by wind. The orchid seeds being
non-endospermic in nature cannot utilize their own reserves and hydrolyse larger molecules
of starch or cellulose. Hence, under natural conditions seeds germinate after being
affected by a fungus- the orchid mycorrhizia which supplies sugar to germinating seeds or
orchids. As a result asymbiotic germination in the absence of sugar proceeds only upto the
early protocorm stage.
Seeds from green pods
are sown on the autoclaved media under aseptic conditions. After 15-20 days, the embryo
start swelling and after 30-35 days, 2 leaf stage is achieved. At 4-leaf stage the
seedlings are taken out from flasks and after thorough washing and are planted in
community pots in 1:1 mixture of shredded tree fern fibre and charcoal.
Under north India
conditions in the plains the best flowering has been observed during winter months i.e.
from October to April. Land should be well prepared by ploughing it 2-3 times and 50 tons
of well rotten farmyard manure should be well mixed/ha.
Marigold
There are two common
methods of propagation of marigold i.e. (I) by seeds; (ii) by cuttings. Crop raised from
seeds is tall, vigorous and heavy bloomer; thus, it is preferred over cuttings.
Seeds of wide range of
varieties of common species i.e. T. erecta, T.patula and T. tenuifolia
are easily available and germinate quickly. Propagation through seed is advised. For
better seed germination, optimum temperature range is between 18 to 300 C. for
raising seedlings for one hectare, about 1.5 kg. Seed is required. Nursery beds of 3X1 m
size are thoroughly prepared and mixed with 10 kg of well rotten farmyard manure per sq. m
About 8 to 10 such beds are needed to raise seedlings for one hectare. Seeds can be sown
preferably in lines or by broadcast method. In case of broadcasting care should be taken
for proper distribution of seeds so as to have healthy seedlings. For this, thinning is an
important operation in both the methods. Seeds need to be covered with light soil or sand
or strained leaf mould and watering should be with rose can. For entire period, nursery
should be kept moist but not wet and thus watered accordingly.
In case of Dahlia only
dwarf bedding singles are usually grown from seeds. Plants of large flowering types raised
from seeds show a heterogeneous mixture. From a strain of double, there will be a large
portion of single and semi-double flowers, also greatly varying in height and colour. It
is interesting to grow and test out seedlings from good varieties with the hope that new
and better variety may result.
Sow the seeds thinly
in shallow boxes or seed-pans containing porous soil, cover it with a layer of screened
leaf mould and water through a find rose. Under tropical condition, sowing should be done
in September-October and the seedlings will be ready for transplanting in three to four
weeks. |