Protected cultivation of gerbera

1. GERBERA CULTIVATION

2. INTRODUCTION
 Gerbera jamesonii
 Family: Asteraceae
 C.N.-Transvaal daisy, Barberton Daisy, African
Daisy
 40 species of gerbera

3. THE MAJOR PRODUCING STATES IN INDIA ARE
 Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tamilnadu, West
Bengal, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir
and Gujarat.

4. WIDE RANGE OF COLOURS
 Yellow
 Orange
 Cream
 White
 Pink
 Red and intermediate shades

5. Gerbera - Arka Krishika
Flowers are double type with yellow colour
Yield: 400 to 425 flowers /m2 /year
Use: Cut flower and floral decoration
Important character: Suitable for open field cultivation

6. Variety developed by IIHR, Bengaluru
Arka Krishika, Arka Ashwa and Arka Nesara
Arka Ashwa found to be highly tolerant to thrips

7. IMPORTANT VARIETIES
Colour Varieties
Red SALSA,
Yellow Tropic Blend, Super Nova
Pink Pink Elegance, Primrose,
Orange Sunway, Dune
White Winter queen, Inspiration, Dalma

8. PROPAGATION
Commercially propagated through
 division of suckers
 tissue culture plants

9. GROWING GERBERA UNDER COVER
Season
The crop can be cultivated throughout the year.

10. •Direct sunlight affects flower quality and also causes leaf and
flower scorching
•Shade net are used for uniform shade. This gives more number of
flowers per unit area

11. Climate
Production of quality flowers requires
shade house (50%) or naturally ventilated
polyhouse.
Day temperature of 22-25°C
Night temperature of 12-16°C are ideal.

12. PRODUCTION
Media:
 Can be grown on red sandy loamy soils which are well
drained fairly rich in nutrients.
 Soil pH of 5.5-6.5 is ideal for optimum growth and
productivity.
 EC – 0.5 to 1 dS/m.

13. Field preparation and
planting

14. Soil fumigation with Formaldehyde (100ml in
5l/m2) or Dazomet (30g/m2) or methyl bromide
(70 g / m2)
covered with a plastic sheet for a minimum
period of 2 to 3 days.
The beds should be subsequently watered
thoroughly to drain the chemicals before
planting

15. Chemical : Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) with silver is used for sterilization of soil.
Process:
wet the beds with irrigation water.
Mix water with hydrogen peroxide at a rate of 35 ml per/lite.
Apply this solution evenly on soil beds.
Use one liter of mix solution, For the one-meter area.
After that in 4 to 6 hours the crop can be planted.
Benefits of Hydrogen Peroxide with Silver:
economical, reduce input cost
Very easy and safe
The plantation can be carried out after 4 to 6 hours fumigation.
Eco-friendly and does not produce any phytotoxic effects on plants.
Almost any fungi, bacteria and viral presence in the soil destroys
Also destroys the eggs of insects.

16. Bed height: 45 cm, Bed width: 60 cm, Between the beds: 30 cm
While bed preparation, add Single Super Phosphate (0:16:0) @ 2.5 kg
per 100 sqft , Magnesium Sulphate @ 0.5 kg per 100 sqft
Neem cake (@ 1 kg / m)

18. Between rows 30-40 cm
Within rows 25-30 cm
Accommodating 6-7 plants/ sq. m.
(60,000 – 70,000 plants /hectare)
SPACING AND PLANT POPULATION

19. Planting of division of clumps or suckers

20. PLANTING AND AFTER CARE

21. IRRIGATION
• It is the critical factor that decides healthy growth and
quality of plant.
• Provide sufficient irrigation soon after planting and
thereafter regularly through drip irrigation.
• 4.5-6 liter/ square meter/ day by drip.
• 500-700 ml/day/plant.

22. SPECIAL PRACTICES

23. FERTIGATION
 Once flowering commences, N:P:K 15:8:35 at
the rate of 1.5 g/l water/day is to be given.
 Boron deficiency causes base of young leaves
to turn black coloured.
 Zinc deficiency symptoms can be identified
with the C-shaped leaf structure caused by
chlorosis on one half of the leaf blade which
ceases to expand, while the other half of the
leaf is normal.

24. WEEDING AN RAKING OF SOIL
Disbudding
Removal of inferior quality flowers at the initial stage after
plantation is called disbudding.
The normal production of gerbera plants starts after 75 - 90
days from the date of plantation.
Production of flowers starts 45 days after plantation but
initial production is of inferior quality, hence these flowers
should be removed from the base of the flowers stalk. this
helps in making the plant strong and healthy.

25. Removal of old leaves
Sanitation helps in keeping the disease and pest
infestation below the economic threshold level. The old,
dry, infested leaves should be removed from the plant
and removed from the production site.

26. PESTS AND DISEASES
 Aphids
 Leaf Miner
 Mites
 Thrips
 Crown Rot
 Root-rot
 Fusarium
 Blight
 Leaf spot
 Powdery mildew
 Viral disease
 (Cucumber mosaic virus
 Tobacco rattle virus)

27. MANAGEMENT
 Spray Spark or Hosteothion or Malathion @ 2ml/lt
of water for control of white flies and leaf minor
whenever their infestation is noticed.
 Spray Metasystox or Monocrotophos @2ml/lt of
water for control of Thrips and aphids
 Spray Kelathane or Sulphur @3gm/lt of water for
control of mites and powdery mildew

28. MANAGEMENT
 Drench the beds with Ridomil- MZ/ Binomil/ Bavistin/
Captan @ 2gm/lt of water to control soil borne
diseases
 Spray Dithane M-45/ Bavistin @ 2gm/lt of water to
control blight

29. ROOT-KNOT NEMATODE
 Yellowing of leaves ;bulbs on roots
 Fumigate the soil with Nemagon (Aldicarb, Oxamyl)

30. DISORDERS OF GERBERA
 Flower bent- stem break.
It is a common post harvest disorder in cut gerberas.
This is mainly caused by water imbalances. It could be
ethylene controlled and associated with early
senescence caused by water stress.

31.  Bushiness:
An abnormality characterized by numerous
leaves, short petioles and small laminae, which
gives some cultivars of gerbera a bushy
appearance known as bushiness. Nodes are
not clearly distinguished and no internode
elongation is seen.

32.  Yellowing and purple margin
Nitrogen deficiency causes yellowing and early
senescence of leaves. Phosphorus deficiency
causes pale yellow colour with purple margin.
Increase in levels of nitrogen and phosphorus
were found to promote development of suckers
and improve flowering in gerbera.

35. HARVESTING
 The crop yields 2 stems / plant / month.
 Harvest starts from 3rd month of planting and
continued up to two years.
 Under open condition, 130 -160 flowers / m2 / year
 under greenhouse condition, 175 - 200 flowers /m2/
year can be obtained.
2 outer rows of disc florets
begin to open

36. POST HARVEST MANAGEMENT
 Immediately place the flowers in water for four hours
at 7-8 degree
 Always add 7-10 ml commercial bleach/sodium
hypochlorite solution in one litre water(1%)

37. Grades GRADE-I GRADE-II GRADE-III
Stalk Length (cm) 50 30-50 <30
Flower Diameter (cm ) 10 8-10 <8
Grading in Gerbera

38. Pack the flowers in a box with the following
dimensions : (50 flowers/box)
A good flower has:
i) Stalk length 45-55cm
ii) Diameter of flower 10-12cm
A Gerbera cut flower has minimum vase life of 8-10
days

39. Bud Caps