Response of Plant Growth Substances and Bio-enhancer on the Enhancement of Bulblet Growth under the In-vivo Condition of Lilium

Lilies are one of the most extensively sold cut flowers due to their quantity and variety of colours [1]. This this study aims at development of bulbs from microbulblets by the use of different bio-enhancers and growth substances to decrease the time for bulblet growth to bulb and ontogenic development. The experiment was carried out in the Department of Horticulture, Sikkim University in the year 2016-2017 to find out the effect of growth substances and bio enhancers on the enhancement of microbulblets in vivo condition of Lilium spp. This experiment was conducted using completely randomized block design (CRD) which was replicated thrice and the details of the treatments were as follows: T1-Paclobutrazol @10ppm, T2-Paclobutrazol @20ppm, T3-Paclobutrazol @ 30ppm, T4-Thiourea @10ppm, T5-Thiourea @20ppm, T6-Thiourea @30ppm, T7-Cow urine @10%, T8- Vermiwash @100%, T9- Vermiwash @50% and T10- Control. The treatments were sprayed at 15, 30 and 45 days intervals. Among all treatments used for the development of bulbs from microbulblets, the performance of the growth substance was found more effective. The treatment thiourea @30ppm (T6) and paclobutrazol 20ppm (T2) recorded maximum bulb weight (1.38g and 1.27g respectively while paclobutrazol @20ppm observed maximum bulb length (20.01 cm) and breadth (15.46 cm) after 90 days of the spray of treatment under. However, organic bio enhancers like vermiwash 100% (T7) and vermiwash 50% (T8) were found at par with the treatments of thiourea @30ppm and paclobutrazol @20ppm. The maximum root length (7.70 cm) was found in vermiwash 50% (T8) while the maximum shoot length (17.38 cm) was given by thiourea @30ppm (T6). The maximum amount of carbohydrate accumulated (76.31 mg/g) was observed in thiourea 10ppm (T4) after 60 days of the spray of treatments, which was at par with vermiwash 100% (T7) and vermiwash 50% (T8). After 90 days of the spray of treatments, the concentration of carbohydrates in the bulbs did not differ significantly where the maximum value of 78.97 mg/g was observed in cow urine @10% (T7). Maximum moisture content after 90 days of spray of treatments was observed in thiourea @10ppm (T4) (65.76%). Keeping in view of the results obtained in the study for the regeneration of microbulblets from scale and development of bulbs from microbulblets, bio enhancers like vermiwash and cow urine can be used as substitutes for the chemical growth substances like paclobutrazol and thiourea in organic farming and can be recommended to the farmers.