STANDARDIZATION OF GROWING SUBSTRATE FOR ASIATIC, ORIENTAL AND LA HYBRIDS OF LILIUM.

The investigation was conducted in three types of Liliums viz., Asiatic, Oriental and LA hybrids at Horticultural Research Station, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Located in The Nilgiris district of Tamil Nadu, India to standardize the growing substrate for lilium. Three cultivars were used in Completely Randomized Design viz., 'Black out', 'Courier', Acapulco" in seven growing media viz., Sand as substrate for lilium + Soil as substrate for lilium + Farm Yard Manure as substrate for lilium (1:1:1; Volume/Volume) (T1), Sand as substrate for lilium + Soil as substrate for Lilium + Farm Yard Manure as substrate for lilium (2:1:1; Volume/Volume) (T2), Cocopeat as substrate for Lilium + Farm Yard Manure as substrate for lilium (1:1; Volume/Volume) (T3), Cocopeat as substrate for lilium + soil as substrate for lilium + Farm Yard Manure as substrate for lilium (1:1:1; Volume/Volume) (T4), Sand as substrate for lilium + Soil as substrate for Lilium + Farm Yard Manure as substrate for lilium) + cocopeat as substrate for Lilium (1:1; Volume/Volume) (T5), Sand as substrate for lilium + Soil as substrate for Lilium + Farm Yard Manure as substrate for lilium) + Vermicompost as substrate for lilium (2:1; Volume/Volume) (T6), Sand as substrate for lilium + Soil as substrate for Lilium + Farm Yard Manure as substrate for lilium) + vermicompost as substrate for lilium + cocopeat for lilium (2:1:1; Volume/Volume) (T7). In Asiatic, oriental and LA hybrids recorded maximum height of lilium 157.21 cm, 168.67 cm and 148.41 cm respectively in T4 media. In lilium emergence of bulb sprout took 13.93 days in T7. Bulbs grown in T7 medium produced more number of flowers per spike of 6.05. The findings revealed that among the different types of Substrate, consisting of Sand as substrate for lilium + Soil as substrate for Lilium + Farm Yard Manure as substrate for lilium) + vermicompost as substrate for lilium + cocopeat as substrate for lilium (2:1:1; Volume/Volume) was found to be suitable for growing Asiatic, Oriental and LA hybrids of Lilium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]