Yield of corms of Acidanthera bicolor var. murielae perry depending on the date and depth of planting corms

Abstract

The experiments were conducted in 2000–2002. Corms of <em>Acidanthera bicolor</em> var. <em>murielae</em> Perry were planted on four dates, every ten days: 19–20th of April, 29–30th of April, 8–9th of May, 18–19th of May, and at three different depths: 4, 8, and 12 cm. At the end of the vegetation period, the plants were dug out and cormels obtained were dried, cleaned and calibrated by 8 sizes that included cormels of the following circumferences: below 4.0 cm, 4.1–6.0 cm, 6.1–8.0 cm, 8.1–10.0 cm, 10.1–12.0 cm, 12.1–14.0 cm, 14.1–16.0, and over 16.0 cm. Then, the cormels were grouped into three sizes: I – cormels with a circumference of over 10.0 cm; II – cormels of 10.0–8.1 cm in circumference; and III – cormels of 8.0–6.0 cm in circumference. The structure and weight of the total and marketable yield as well as further values of cormel circumference were determined. The marketable yield comprised cormels with a circumference of over 8 cm, belonging to group I and II of the cormel size. It was found that planting corms in April increased the number of cormels in the total yield as well as the number and weight of marketable cormels. Planting corms at a depth of 12 cm increased the number and weight of cormels in the total yield as well as the weight of marketable cormels in comparison to the shallowest planting depth (4 cm). Planting corms on the 19–20th of April at a depth of 12 cm increased the percentage and weight of the largest cormels with a circumference of over 16 cm in comparison to planting them on the 18–19th of May at a depth of 4 cm.

‘Namakwa’ lachenalia’s response to flurprimidol and different planting dates

“…Irrespective of the planting date and flurprimidol treatment, 'Namakwa' lachenalia formed the same number of leaves -an average of 2.7 leaves per bulb (data not shown). The determination of the proper planting date has been described for many ornamentals geophytes (Fukai et al 2013, Thakur et al 2014, Yang et al 2014, Kocira et al 2015, Nayeem and Qayoom 2015. Using standardized forcing schedules approved for particular species may reduce production costs and increase the number of elite plants with increased market value (Adil et al 2013).…”