Varietal Evaluation of Gerbera under Shade Net Condition in Prayagraj Agroclimatic Condition

Gerberas are widely cultivated and have a significant market value due to their popularity as ornamental plants and their traditional medicinal uses. The global gerbera market includes various segments, such as cut flowers, potted plants, and medicinal products. Therefore, present investigation was carried out with title at the Department of Horticulture, Naini Agricultural Institute, Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture Technology and Sciences, Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh during the Winter-2022-23 to determine the performance of different varieties of gerbera for its growth and flowering. Under this experiment, overall, 8 varieties were used comprising of variety Shveen, Petali, Livia, Hiami, Deepti, 17026, Alcochate and Breakdance. The current study found that variety Hiami performed better in terms of characters like plant height at 30, 60 and 90 DAP (18.13, 21.20 and 23.77 cm respectively); early for days to first flower bud emergence (39.43 DAP); days from bud to flowering (9.97 days); number of days for flowering from planting (54.53 DAP); number of days for peak flowering (58.17 DAP); maximum number of buds (10.63 buds); stalk length (64.77 cm); diameter of flower (9.33 cm) and yield per 200 m2 (11693 flowers). Variety Deepti performed better for parameters like number of leaves at 30, 60 and 90 DAP (7.53, 10.37 and 12.63 leaves respectively); plant spread at 30, 60 and 90 DAP (18.77, 26.13 and 35.30 cm respectively); Vase life (8.80 days); second highest for yield per 200 m2 (10263 flowers).