The document provides a comprehensive overview of tuberose (Polianthes tuberosa), detailing its botanical characteristics, various cultivars, optimal soil and climate conditions for cultivation, and specific agricultural practices including planting, irrigation, and pest management. It discusses the importance of tuberose in the cut flower and loose flower trade, along with methods for propagation, harvesting, and post-harvest handling to maximize yield and quality. Additionally, it includes pest and disease management strategies to ensure healthy growth and productivity.

1. Tuberose - introduction and uses – varieties - soil and climate and
planting systems - weed, nutrition and irrigation management –
special horticultural practices - role of growth regulators- harvest
index and yield
Dr. M. Kumaresan
Assistant professor
Dept. of Horticulture
Adhiparasakthi Horticultural College
Lecture No.:5

2. INTRODUCTION
 Botanical Name: Polianthes tuberosa
 Family: Amaryllidaceae
 Tuberose derived from tuberosa
 Origin : Mexico
 Greek : ‘polios’ - shining (or) white
‘anthos’ - flower
Tamil name - Nilasampangi
 Chromosome No n = 30
 Single cultivar : 2n = 60 – fertile – perfumery
 Double cultivar : 2n = 50 – infertile - cut flower

3. IMPORTANCE
 Most important bulbous ornamental
 Commercially cultivated for cut and loose
flower trade
 Cut flowers - Making bouquets, floral
arrangements
 Loose flowers - Garlands, ornamentals for
bridal makeup and button holes.
 It can successfully be grown in pots, beds
and borders
 Long spike excellent for table decoration
 Stands long distance transportation

4. DISTRIBUTION
 In India- West bengal, Assam, Maharashtra,
Rajasthan, Gujarat, Haryana, Punjab, Karnataka,
Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu
 In Tamil Nadu – Coimbatore, Madurai, and Dindukal
is the major cultivated area.

5. SPECIES AND CULTIVARS
 P. tuberosa – white flower
 P. blissii – white flowers
 P. durangensis – flowers white, become purplish with age
 P. geminiflora – flowers are light orange red
 P. graminifolia – deep red flowers
 P.longiflora – flowers white tinged red
 P.montana – lobes are rounded, white flower
 P.nelsonii – white flower

6. Polianthes blissii
• This is a hybrid between Bravoa geminiflora x P. tuberosa
• Evolved by Bliss in 1905.
P. durangensis
• The bulbs are small
• The flowers arranged in one to six pairs
• The flowers are sessile and purplish with age
P. geminiflora
• Stems are smooth
• Flowers are light orange-red in colour
• Arranged in pairs of 6 or more.

7. P. gracilis
Mexican species
Narrow leaves
Perianth tubes are long and slender
P. graminifolia
The flowers are 8-15 pairs
Deep red in colour
Bent downwards near the base
The filaments are slender
The bulbs are long
P. Longiflora
The flowers are in 3 to 5 pairs
Perianth are white lined with purple colour

8. CULTIVARS
 Single flowered tuberose
 Semi double flowered tuberose
 Double flowered tuberose and
 Variegated

9. Character Single Semi-double Double
No. of rows of
petals
1 row 2-3 row > 3 rows
Fragrance High Medium Low
Concrete
recovery (%)
0.08 - 0.11 0.05 - 0.07 0.05 - 0.07
Cultivars Calcutta Single
Mexican Single
Shringar (Hybrid)
Arka Nirantara
Semi Double
Vaibhav (Hybrid)
Rajatrekha (Mutant)
Swarnarekha (Mutant)
Suvasini (Hybrid)
Prajwal (Hybrid)
Uses Loose flowers
Essential oil
Cut flowers Loose
flowers
Cut flower
Loose flower

10. SINGLE FLOWERED TUBEROSE
 Flowers with one row of corolla segments
 Flowers are extensively used as loose flowers
and for extraction of essential oil
 Single types are more fragrant than double
 The percentage of seed setting is high in
single
 Floral buds are greenish white
 Flowers are white
 Concrete content has been observed to be 0.08
to 0.11 per cent

11. Navsari
Local
Calcutta
Single
Mexican
Single
Kahikuchi
Single
Hyderabad
single

12. Prajwal
Variegated
Single
Phule
Rajani
Pune
Single
Shringar

13. SEMI DOUBLE FLOWERED TUBEROSE
 Flowers with 2-3 rows of corolla
segments.
 The spikes are straight
 Flowers are white
 It’s cultivated for cut flowers

14. DOUBLE FLOWERED TUBEROSE
 Flowers with more than three rows of petals.
 Flowers white in colour but tinged with pinkish
red.
 It does not bear seeds.
 Used as cut flower as well as loose flower
and for extraction of essential oil
 Concrete recovery - 0.0621%

15. Calcutta
Double
Hyderabad
Double
Paerl
Double
Vaibhav
Suvasini

16. VARIEGATED
 Its florets are similar to single flowered cultivar
except their tinged have pinkish colour.
 It bears seeds profusely.
 Its highly suitable for ornamentation of
surroundings.

17. VARIETIES
 NBRI, Lucknow - Two mutants
1.Rajat Rekha (single)
2. Swarna Rekha (double)
 IIHR, Bangalore - Four varieties
1. Shringar (single)
2.Suvasini (double)
3.Prajwal
4.Vaibhav

18. RAJAT REKHA (SINGLE)
 Single flowered type.
 It has silvery white streak along
the middle of the leaves.
 Its suitable for beautification.

19. SWARNA REKHA (DOUBLE)
 Double flowered type with golden yellow
streaks along the margins of leaf
 It is a gamma ray induced mutant in which
mutation occurred in chlorophyll synthesis
resulting in change in leaf colour
 Concrete content - 0.062%

20. SHRINGAR
 IIHR, Bangalore
 Hybrid from cross between single x double
 Single type flowers
 Strong medium spikes
 Flower buds have slight pinkish tinge
 It is suitable for Loose flowers, extraction of
essential oil, pot flower and landscaping.
 It produce seeds abundantly.
 It is resistant to root knot nematodes.
 Concrete content is 0.135 %

21. SUVASINI
 Released by IIHR, Bangalore
 Double petalled cultivar
 Hybrid from cross between single x
double
 Multi whorled variety
 Bold, big pure white flowers
 Spikes long
 25% more yield than double
 Its suitable for cut flowers.

22. PRAJWAL
 Cross between Shringar x Mexican
Single cultivars
 Bears single type of florets on tall stiff
spikes.
 Colour of flower bud is slightly pinkish.
 Gives about 20% more loose flower
yield than Shringar.
 Recommended for loose and cut
flower.

23. VAIBHAV
 Double type
 Spike length is medium
 Evolved from Mexican Single x IIHR-2
 Flower buds are greenish in colour
 Spike yield higher as compared to
Suvasini
 Best suited for cut flower and pot
purpose

24. Climate
 Optimum temperature:25-280c
 For its luxuriant growth, it requires high humidity and a
temperature around 30 0 C
 Temperature above 35 0 C reduces the spike length and quality of
flowers
 Very low temperature and frost damage the plants and flowers

25. Soil
 Tuberose is grown in wide range of soils from light sandy to clay
soils including those affected by salinity and alkalinity conditions.
 However, sandy loams or loams having pH range from 6.5 to 7.5
with good aeration and drainage are ideal for tuberose
cultivation.
 Soil should be porous and rich in organic matter.

26. PROPAGATION
 Seeds
 Bulbs and Bulblets
 Tissue culture

27. SEED
 Seed setting is observed only in single flowered cultivar.
 Soil temperature – 26-30o C
 Seeds are sown in rows 10 cm
 In heavy soil 1.5 cm deep
 In light soil 2.0 cm deep
 Seeds start germination with in 10 to 15 days after sowing

28. BULBS
 This is the most common method practiced commercially for the
multiplication tuberose.
 Spindle shaped bulbs free from diseases
 Average diameter of 2.5 cm or above (25 to 30 g) (Sharga, 1977).
 Dibbing the bulbs Thiourea (3%) – break the resting period

29. BULBLETS
 Large sized bulbs 1.5 cm or more in
diameter
 Cut into 2 - 3 vertical sections (bud and
part of the basal plate)
 Treated with copper fungicide and
planted vertically
 New bulblets along with roots develop
from the basal plate

30. TISSUE CULTURE
 Rapid mass multiplication of new
cultivars
 Year round production of plantlets and
stored in small place.
 Maintenance of disease free stock
 Good quality disease free planting
material

31. PLANTING
 Best time : March – April in plains; April-May in hills
In South India – July - August
 Pre planting storage of bulbs at 10º C for 30 days
improves sprouting & emergence
 Plough the land 2 - 3 times
 FYM @ 30 t/ha is mixed well with soil
 Optimum bulb size: 2.5 cm diameter and above
 Depth of planting : 7-10 cm
 Spacing : 20 x 25 cm, 40 x 25 cm, 30 X 30 cm

32. DEPTH OF PLANTING
 Planting depth also markedly influences growth and
production of flowers
 Depth vary from 4.0 to 7.0 cm.
 Depending on the bulb size
 Nature of soil and growing region

33.  The bigger is the bulb, the more is the depth, similarly in
sandy soil, planting is generally deeper as compared to
clay soil
 Sandy loam soil, planting of bulbs at the depth of
6.0 cm

34. Water and Irrigation Management
 It is very essential to irrigate before planting to provide optimum
moisture for sprouting
 Further irrigation should be avoided until the bulbs are sprouted
 In the summer months, irrigation is recommended twice a week
and during winter at 10 days interval

35. Manuring and after cultivation
• Manuring can be done with FYM 25 t/ha and NPK 200:200:200 kg/ha
(IIHR Recommendation)
• Full P and K can be applied during the final preparation of plots, while N can be
applied in 3 equal split doses i.e., at the final preparation of plot, 60 and 90 days
after planting of bulbs.
Micronutrients:
• Foliar spray ofZnSO4 0.5% + FeSO4 0.2% + Boric acid 0.1%

36. Harvesting
Flowering of tuberose starts 3 to 3 1/2 months (80 to 100 days) after
planting and flowering time is July onwards
August-September is the peak period of flowering
Tuberose flowers all the year round
Depending on the purpose, harvesting is done by cutting the spikes
from the base or single flowers are harvested as they open day by day

37. Ratoon Cropping
After harvesting the main crop, the flower stalks are headed back (cut to the
base) and the plots should be well- manured and irrigated
About 3-4 ratoon crops can be taken from a single planting
For the proper growth and development of plants, fertilizer dose as given in
the main
crop should be applied in two equal split doses in January-February and April
All other cultural practices should be done as in case of main crop
There is early flowering in ratoon crop as compared to main crop
The ratoon crop results in more number of spikes but reduces number of
florets, length of spikes and weight of flowers

38. Therefore, ratoon crop should be used only for loose flowers or oil
extraction purpose
In temperate climate, during November - December, when temperature
drops, leaves of the plants turn yellow and die and plants undergo
dormancy
Digging of bulbs should be done at this stage
With the increase in temperature the crop regains growth from the
previously planted bulbs which is termed as ratooning

39. Lifting, Curing, and Storage of Bulbs
Harvesting stage of tuberose bulb is important for storage of bulbs and their
growth
The bulbs are harvested when the flowering is over and plant terminates to
grow
Bulbs reach maturity at about 40-50 days after flowering and at this stage, the
leaves become yellow and dry
At this stage, irrigation is withheld and the soil is allowed to dry before
digging out the bulbs
The leaves are cut off at the ground level and the bulbs are dug out
After digging, the bulbs are lifted out and adhering earth shaken off neatly and
thoroughly

40. The offsets or bulblets are then separated out by hand, which are used as
seedstock for the next season
The bulbs are then graded based on the size into mature (> 1.5 cm diameter)
and immature (< 1.5 cm diameter)
Cleaned and graded bulbs are placed on shelves to dry or cure
To hasten curing, artificial heat of 270 to 350C may be applied
The bulbs must be moved or have their position changed every few days to
prevent fungal attack and rotting
The bulbs are also treated with 0.2 per cent Bavistin or mancozeb powder to
prevent their rotting

41. Yield
Flowers are ready for harvest in about 3 to 31/2 months after planting
One hectare of tuberose plantation yields 4 - 5 lakhs of spikes per year for cut
flower purpose
In case of single varieties, 14-15 tonnes / ha of loose flowers are harvested
In addition, 20-25 tonnes / ha of bulbs and bulblets may be harvested at the
end of 3rd year
Crop duration: 2 ½ to 3 years

42. Post Harvest Activities
Immediately after harvest, the lower portion of the cut spikes should be immersed in water
for prolonging the vase life of spikes
Grading The flower spikes for cut flower purpose are graded according to the following
quality attributes viz.,
• Spike length
• Number of flowers per spike
• Weight of spikes and
• Quality of individual florets.
Straight and strong stem of uniform length and uniform stage of development are
preferred. Flowers should be free from diseases and pests.

43. Holding solutions
A holding solution consisting of sucrose 2% + Al2(SO4)3 300 ppm was found
best for increasing the post harvest life and quality of cut spikes of tuberose
Pulsing of spikes at low temperature (100C), for about four hours with the
ends immersed in water, is helpful in prolonging life of spikes to be sent to
distant markets.

44. Packing and Transport
For cut flower purpose, long spikes are preferred and are sold in round bundles or
bunch. Each bundle /bunch contains 25, 50 or 100 spikes.
To avoid damage of the flowers and buds, the whole bundle should be wrapped in
soft, white tissue paper or polythene. These bundles are packed in rectangular
bamboo baskets lined with Hessian cloth
For long distance transport, they are packed in square boxes or airy baskets but
packing in cardboard boxes is more suitable which can be easily transported by rail,
bus or by truck.

45. Packaging for loose flower purpose
Loose flowers of single – flowers tuberoses are packed in bamboo baskets and the baskets
are covered with muslin cloth or with wet gunny bags
About 10-15 kg fresh flowers are packed in each basket
They are also packed in gunny bags or polythene bags lined with newspaper
Then they are transported to the nearby wholesale market where they are sold by weight.

46. Yield
S. No Variety Yield
1. Shringar 14-15 t/ha/yr
2. Prajwal 17-18 t/ha/yr
3. Suvasini 1.5- 2.0 lakh spikes/ha/yr
4. Vaibhav 2.0-2.5 lakh spikes/ha/yr

47. PERFUME YIELD
Concrete – 8 - 10 kg / ha
Concrete recovery – 0.07 – 0.11%

48. Pest
The important insects are thrips, aphids, bud borer, grass hoppers,
weevils, nematodes, red spider mites, rodents etc
Disease
The diseases reported are stem rot, flower bud rot, leaf blight or
Botrytis blight, Sclerotial wilt, Alternaria leaf spot , rust, powdery
mildew etc

49. Root- knot nematode
It causes formation of knots or galls on the roots of susceptible hosts.
They penetrate the roots of susceptible host and establish themselves near the vascular tissues.
Soil application of carbofuran @ 12-13 kg / acre or neem cake @ 1 t/ ha is effective to control root
knot nematode.
Dipping of bulbs a few days before planting for 30- 40 minutes in solution of Triazophos (2ml/l)
will help in controlling of root- knot nematodes infestation in standing crop.
Application of Bacillomyces 2.5 kg/ha + FYM- 100 kg