Flouriculture

India's major commercial cut flowers: Rose (*Rosa hybrida*) — propagated by budding/cuttings, Dutch/hybrid tea types for export; Gladiolus (*Gladiolus grandiflorus*) — propagated by corms and cormels, 'spike' is the commercial unit; Chrysanthemum — propagated by stem cuttings/suckers, pinching done at 6–8 leaves; Tuberose (*Polianthes tuberosa*) — propagated by bulbs, cv. Single and Double; Carnation — propagated by cuttings, requires cool temperatures; Anthurium — tropical flower, propagated by offsets. For export: rose (50% of cut flower export value), carnation, chrysanthemum, gerbera.

Pinching (disbudding) is the removal of the terminal growing tip or lateral buds to manipulate plant form and flowering. In chrysanthemum: soft pinch (remove 1–2 cm tip at 6–8 leaves) encourages branching for spray chrysanthemum; for single large-flowered (standard) types, all lateral buds are removed leaving only the terminal bud. In rose: disbudding removes side buds leaving only the main bud for exhibition-quality long-stemmed flowers. In carnation: disbudding removes all but 3–5 lateral shoots for spray type, or all lateral buds for single-bloom standard type.

Forcing is the technique of advancing or delaying flowering beyond the natural season using controlled environmental conditions. In gladiolus: staggered planting every 15 days ensures continuous supply throughout the season. In chrysanthemum: chrysanthemums are short-day plants (SDP) — flower when days shorten below critical photoperiod (13.5 hours). Forcing for out-of-season flowering: black polyethylene sheets cover plants at 5 pm to simulate short days in summer. Year-round rose and chrysanthemum production in polyhouses uses light supplementation (HID lamps) and temperature control.

India's floriculture export is approximately ₹600–700 crore annually, mainly to UAE, USA, Netherlands, UK, and Germany. India exports: cut flowers (rose, carnation, chrysanthemum, gladiolus, anthurium), cut foliage, potted plants, and dried flowers. India's share in global floriculture trade is ~0.6% — far below potential. The Netherlands controls ~50% of global cut flower trade through its auction system (Dutch clock auction at Aalsmeer). APEDA (Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority) promotes Indian floriculture export. Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Maharashtra, and Delhi are major producing states.

Polyhouse rose cultivation requires: Temperature — 15–28°C (day), 12–15°C (night); Relative Humidity — 60–70%; CO2 enrichment — 800–1200 ppm for enhanced photosynthesis; Light — 50,000 lux minimum (supplemental HID lighting in winter); Substrate — cocopeat/perlite mix or soil; Irrigation — drip with fertigation (Hoagland/modified nutrient solution). Planting density: 6–8 plants/m². Production: 150–200 stems/m²/year for hybrid tea roses. Diseases: black spot (*Diplocarpon rosae*), powdery mildew (*Sphaerotheca pannosa*) — managed by sulphur/tebuconazole.

Propagation methods by crop: Rose — T-budding (shield budding) onto rootstocks (*Rosa indica*, *R. canina*); also stem cuttings for miniature roses. Gladiolus — corms (main planting material) and cormels (small corms produced around mother corm) — vegetative. Chrysanthemum — stem cuttings (5–8 cm tip cuttings), also suckers from base. Tuberose — bulbs (offset separation). Marigold — seeds (germination 7–10 days). Jasmine — stem cuttings with 2–3 nodes. All bulbous flower crops (tulip, lilium, narcissus) — bulbs imported from Netherlands and Kashmir.