Effect of potting media on plant growth and flower yield in Dendrobium orchid cv. Sonia Red under High-Tech polyhouse

Abstract The study was conducted to determine the “Effect of potting media on plant growth and flower yield in Dendrobium orchid cv. Sonia Red” under hi-tech polyhouse at Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, Punjab during 2021-22. Tissue cultured plants of Dendrobium orchid were grown in fifteen potting media treatment combinations comprising of Cocopeat, Coco hull, Plywood industry waste, Brick pieces, Maize rind, Vermicompost and Charcoal. Data was recorded at quarterly intervals. Among all the potting media treatments, T10 (Maize rind + Vermicompost + Charcoal - 2:1:1) number of florets per flower stem, spike length, rachis length, longevity of flower stems and vase life of flowers. However,treatment T6 exhibited maximum number of flower stems per plant. Teatments T5 (Plywood industry waste + Vermicompost + Charcoal - 3:1:1) and T4 (Plywood industry waste + Vermicompost + Charcoal - 2:1:1) exhibited minimum number of days for spike initiation, flower bud initiation, bud opening to harvest stage. To conclude potting media T10 was found to be better in terms of floral parameters.