Growth and developmental aspects in dendrobium orchids

Dendrobium orchids are popular flowering potted plants and cut flowers throughout the world due to their floriferousness, diversity in flower size, shape and colour, round the year availability and long keeping qualities. The present investigations were carried out with 16 hybrids of Dendrobium in CRD design with four replications. Significant variations were also observed with both vegetative and reproductive parameters. The spike length varies from 21.9cm in ‘Triple Pink’ to 47.7 cm in case of ‘Madam Pink’. Highest number of spikes/cane was recorded in ‘Julie’ (4.0) followed by ‘Thongchai Gold’ (3.0) and ‘Big White Jumbo’(3). ‘Madam Pink’ had highest number of florets/spike (15) while ‘Emma White’ had minimum (5.4). The hybrid ‘Triple Pink’ had the highest vase life (40 days) and lowest in ‘Madam Pink’ (15.3 days). There were significant variations in the content of carbohydrates in pseudobulbs and flowers and chlorophyll content in leaves. In flower, maximum amount of carbohydrate was estimated in ‘Kating Dang’ (260 mg/g) and minimum in Lervia (112mg) and ‘Big White Jumbo’(112 mg/g). In pseudobulb, carbohydrate content ranges from 46 mg/g in ‘Fatima’ to 279 mg/g in case of ‘Erika’. In variable response to chlorophyll content in leaves, ‘Ear Sakul’ had maximum (47.8 mg/100 g) followed by ‘Madam Pink’ (46.5 mg/100g), ‘Erika’ (44.6 mg/100g) and minimum in ‘Kating Dang’(27.5 mg/100g).