Performance of exotic gerbera cultivars grown under protected conditions in Nagaland

Among the cut flowers gerbera is one of the most important commercial flowers grown world over and highly valued for its brilliant colours, appearance and potentialities in the local, domestic and international market. Since local cultivars do not perform as per consumers’ demand and have low production potential it is essential to introduce exotic varieties adapted to local conditions. A field experiment was conducted to study the performance of selected exotic gerbera cultivars under protected conditions at Central Institute of Horticulture farm, Medziphema in a randomized block design with four replications employing uniform cultural practices to ensure optimum good quality flowers as well as response of vegetative growth. The test varieties indicated strong adoptability and good association with foothill agro-climatic conditions of Nagaland. Among the characters studied days to flowering, plant height, number of leaves/clump, number of flowers/clump, flower colour, stalk length, number of petals/flower, flower bud size, flower diameter and vase life under room conditions showed significant differences among the varieties. The selective five cultivars viz Daphne, Kozak, Fanna, Milky White and Wall Street were found suitable for foothill subtropical conditions of the region.