Effect of water soluble fertilizers on flowering of Phalaenopsis hybrid cv. Shagan

An investigation was carried out to find out the effect of water soluble fertilizers on flowering of orchid (Phalaenopsis Hybrid) cv. Shagan at BTCC, Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology, Bhubaneswar, Odisha during the period January 2016 to March 2017. Phalaenopsis cv. The tissue cultured orchid plantlets were planted in pots containing potting mixture comprising of coal and coconut fibre, in equal proportion. Total population was ninety nine having eleven different treatments and each treatment contains 3 pots. The trial was conducted with ten treatments viz. T1 (NPK 0:0:50 @0.1%), T2 (NPK 0:0:50 @ 0.2%), T3 (NPK 0:52:34 @ 0.1%), T4 (NPK 0:52:34 @ 0.2%), T5 (NPK 13:0:45 @ 0.1%), T6 (NPK 13:0:45 @ 0.2%), T7 (NPK 19:19:19 @ 0.1%), T8 (NPK 19:19:19 @ 0.2%), T9 (NPK 20:20:20 @ 0.1%­­), T10 (NPK 20:20:20 @ 0.2%) and T11 (control). The experiment was laid out in Completely Randomized Design with three replications. Water soluble fertilizers were applied by dissolving in water. Among all the fertilizers treatment T7 (NPK 19:19:19 @ 0.1%) recorded the maximum flower parameters, including number of spike per plant, spike length, number of flowers per spike, diameter of flower and flowering duration as compared to other treatments. It is therefore suggested that for getting better quality of spike and flower, treatment T7 (NPK 19:19:19 @ 0.1%) is recommended under Bhubaneswar condition in Phalaenopsis cv. Shagan.