Production Technology Of Zantedeschia

Production technology of Zantedeschia

Vijayalaxmi. M RHM/08-23

Introduction Zantedeschia aethiopica Araceae South Africa Arum lily, callalily, Lily of the Nile

Introduction • Commonly known as Calla lily, Richardia, Pig lily, Varkore etc., • It is the only genus in the tribe Zantedeschiae which is in the sub family philodendroideae. • The Calla Lily was named after Professor Giovanni Zantedeschi, 1773-1846, an Italian physician and botanist. • It is considered by many people in the Republic of Ireland to be a symbol of Irish Republicanism.

Introduction contd.. • Since the days of ancient Rime the Calla Lily has been treasured as a flower of celebration. • The Romans valued them so much that they often decorated the edges of the bloom with filaments of gold. • These spectacular flowers are beginning to rival the rose in popularity for bridal bouquets. • The Society of American Florists feels that Calla lilies “are on their way to becoming one of the top flowers, in terms of consumer demand.”

Area and production • Large white callas are known but small colored callas are becoming more familiar. • New Zealand is the largest exporter of flowers of colored calla hybrids. • The calla sector is characterized by diverse sized firms scattered through out the two main islands of New Zealand. • Calla growers in New Zealand are members of an expanding sector in the floriculture industry of that country.

Area and production contd.. • Cut flower exports were $ 6.8 million and tuber exports were $ 3.2 million in the year 2004 in new Zealand. • Commercial companies have expanded their operations offshore by growing flowers and bulbs in Kenya, Taiwan, India and Swaziland, for lucrative northern hemisphere markets. • In India also there has been initiation in the production of tubers of calla and few tissue culture labs have started production for New Zealand and Dutch companies.

Importance and uses • It is important for their corolla like thick waxy spathe. • Spathes are used as cut flowers while the leaves are very elegant and used for flower arrangements. • Like day lily callas are also used for planting along ponds and lakes as border plants. • As potted plants callas are very attractive. • They are also used for decoration at Easter and through out the spring and early summer months.

Importance and uses contd..

• It can be used a focal point for a spectacular arrangement or bouquet. • Callas are appealing in bunches or in a mixed monochromatic bouquet with other speciality flowers.

Importance and Uses contd.. • Apart from its popular uses it also has undesirable effects. • In many of the countries from where the calla lily originates it is thought of as a weed and is ferociously cut down to make way for agriculture. • The Zantedeschia species are very poisonous, capable of killing livestock and children. • The poisonous principle seems to be a saponin, which irritates the mucous membranes, causing swelling.

Botany • Herbacious with many long petioled leaves arising from a thick rhizome. • Petioles are hairy or bristly below and spongy through out. • Leaf lamina is sagittate, lanceolate to cordate - ovate in shape. • Leaves are blotched with white semi transparent spots.

Botany contd.. • Flowers are funnel shaped with a spadix. • Peduncles are usually long, even longer than leaves. • Spathes are longer, open with a recurved waxy tip. • the whiteness of the spathe is not caused by pigmentation, but is an optical effect produced by numerous airspaces beneath the epidermis.

Species and cultivars • Genus Zantedeschia has 7 species viz., • Zantedeshia aethiopica, Z. rehmanii, Z. jucunda, Z. elliottiana, Z. pentlandii, Z. odorata, Z. albomaculata. • • • •

Most prominent commercial Zantedeschias are Z. aethiopica (white) Z. elliottiana (Golden calla) Z. rehmanii (Pink)

Breeding • Hybrids have been developed by crossing • Z. elliottiana x Z. rehmanii and • Z. albomaculata x Z. pentlandii. • Breeding programmes are mainly based on development of cultivars with new colors, shape and resistance against pests and diseases.

Amethyst

Bridal Bliss

Pink Rehmanni

Fire Glow

Blaze

Black Forest

Crystal Blush

Gold Rush

Garnet Glow

Dwarf White

Green Godess

Fire Glow

Gem Lavender

Mint Julip

Gem dark eyes

Rubylite Pink

Gem Rose

Intimote Ivory

Hot Flashes

Little Jimmy

Lemon Drop

Lipstick

White Albo Maculata

Peach chiffon

CULTIVATION ASPECTS

Soil • They require rich loamy well drained soil containing maximum organic matter. • The best soil mixture is loamy soil and well rotted FYM. • For optimum plant and tuber growth soil should be kept moist. • They can tolerate to pH range between 5-8.

Climate • Calla lilies prefer a warm head and cool feet and therefore temperature is important to their performance. • An ideal day temperature would be 18 to 25 °C and nights of 12 to 18 °C. • They can be grown under a wide light range of 2,000 to 10,000 ft candles. • Rhizomes forced under warmer temperatures and low light conditions tend to develop plants with weak stems and paler colored spathes.

Climate contd.. • Very cool temperatures delay flowering increase variability and promote diseases. • Photoperiod does not influence on flowering in Zantedeschia (Vered naor and Jaime kegel 2002). • In India the plants can be grown in Nilgiri hills as well as in other hill stations. • In mild climate of Bangalore also this plant thrives well. But it is difficult to cultivate in the plains.

Temperature affects plant development, flowering and tuber dormancy in calla lily (Zantedeschia). Naor V and Kigel J 2002 • Tubers of Black Magic (Z. albomaculata) and Calla Gold (Z. rehmanii) were dipped in 200ppm GA3 before planting. • The effects of temperature on the development of calla lily was observed at 17/12, 22/17, 27/22 and 32/27°c of day and night temperatures respectively. • The effects of temperatures on dormancy and subsequent flowerings under which tubers grew were studied. • Rate of plant development including leaf production, flowering and senescence generally increased with increasing temperatures in range of 17/12 to 32/27°c. • Maximum flowering occurred at 22/17°c in both cultivars.

• Tubers produced at 32/27°c and 27/22°c did not sprout in the following growth cycle. • In contrast tubers produced at 22/17 and 17/12°c sprouted during storage, reaching 75-100% sprouting after planting. • Dormancy of tubers was studied by raising or lowering the temperatures (23/15°c or 29/21°c) at different stages during growth cycle (30, 60 and 90 DAP). • Tubers from 29/21°c were more dormant than tubers from 23/15°c. • Increasing or decreasing the

Propagation • It can be propagated by seeds, rhizomes/tubers and micro propagation.

Seed: • Some species of Z. elliottiana can be very easily propagated by seeds. • The fruit is ripe when it has turned yellowish and is soft. • Pulp should be removed and the seed is dried off. • Grey seeds can be sown in clean seedling mix and covered lightly. • Sowing time is in the month of November.

Seeds ready to be sown

seedli ngs

Propagation contd.. Rhizomes/Tubers: • Conventional method of propagation of Z. aethiopica is through rhizome where as in other species it is referred as tubers. • Rhizomes are divided in to reasonable pieces.

Propagation contd.. Micro propagation • Variability of Zantedeschia cultivars by seed propagation is very high. • Traditional method of propagation by rhizomes can result in 10 – 20 fold increase per year. • Moreover, soft rots caused by Erwinia can easily enter the wound area and cause severe economic losses.

Planting • Tubers are planted at a depth of 3-4cm according to their size. • They are planted at 30-45 cm apart in beds. • They can be planted in spring to early summer. • Planting should be done so that tops of the tubers are exposed. • Tubers need to be pretreated with Gibberellic acid to overcome dormancy.

Irrigation • Zantedeschia aeathiopica needs a lot of water. • Water should be given plentifully when the plants are in full leaf, keeping the soil constantly moist between thorough irrigations. • After harvest of flowers the plants need to be maintained by continuing irrigation as rhizomes continue to increase in size. • After complete yellowing and withering of leaves with held irrigation water.

Manuring and Fertilization • Zantedeschia aethiopica grows fast and therefore it needs sufficient fertilization. • The addition of N,P,K,Mg plus trace elements is used to supply the necessary nutrients for plant growth. • Organic matter helps the nutrient and water holding capacity of soils, and is greatly beneficial to tuber growth. • For a 10m2 plot 40 kg FYM, 1 kg CAN, 2.5 kg SSP and 750 g MOP.

Manuring and fertilization contd.. • In light soils application of liquid manure with 150g urea, 100g MOP/10m2 help in growth and development. • Excessive use of N will result in weak stems and leaf growth, as well as increased susceptibility to soft rot. • For fertigation 20:10:20 is recommended. • Two fertigations /month @ 20 l/m2 each time should be given. • Advanced flowering, highest bloom fresh weight and yield can be obtained through lower levels (Clemens et al.,1998).

Weed control  Calla plants are tolerant to a range of herbicides in the aid of weed control.  A pre-plant eradication of perennial weeds with Roundup and a pre-emergent application of Simazine or Surflan is suggested.  Weed control can be extended with an additional post-emergent application of Simazine or Surflan.  Weed control in the latter half of a calla's production season is not a problem as the dense foliage helps to reduce weed growth.

Flowering and pollination • It takes 10-12 weeks to come to flowering from the time of planting. • The striking arum lily "flower" is actually many tiny flowers arranged in a complex spiral pattern on the central column (spadix). •

The tiny flowers are arranged in male and female zones on the spadix. The top 7 cm are male flowers and the lower 1.8 cm are female.

• The female flowers have an ovary with a short stalk above it, which is the style (where the pollen is received). • The spadix is surrounded by the white or coloured spathe.

Flowering and pollination contd.. • The flowers are faintly scented and this attracts various crawling insects and bees which are responsible for pollinating the flowers. • Cross pollination occurs as the anthers of each flower ripen before the ovaries. • The spathe changes its color after flowering and covers the ripening berries. •

It rots away when these are ripe and the succulent yellow berries attract birds, which are responsible for seed dispersal.

Harvesting • Harvest flowers in the cool of the morning or evening. • Flowers should be harvested when the spathes are fully open and about one day before the flowers shed pollen. • To ensure the longest possible stem length, flowers are pulled rather than cut. • Plants should be turgid when the flowers are pulled, otherwise the stem is inclined to split along its length.

Yield • Yield of the flowers is influenced by age, size and variety of the rhizome. • In the second year, 10 to 20 flowers per grown up plant. • By the 3rd year at least 24 long stemmed flowers appear in a plant. • But in some climates even up to 40 flowers per plant.

Post harvest handling • Post harvest life of Z. aethiopica 5- days and Z. elliottiana 7 days. • Striking problem with post harvest management of zantadeschia is split stems followed by stem rolling. • Once harvested and placed in water, scapes absorb water rapidly and split at the base ends. • In severe cases the stems continue to split with the ends rolling.

Post harvest handling contd.. • Flowers placed in this solution should be hardened in a cool storage facility (5-10°c) • This will minimize stem splitting and rotting, and control post harvest fungal diseases. • Re-cut the stems before they are placed in the condition solution.

EFFECT OF GIBBERELLIC ACID ON THE POST-HARVEST FLOWER LONGEVITY OF Zantedeschia elliottiana.

• Gibberellic acid extended the post - harvest longevity of flowers of ‘Black Magic’ and ‘Florex Gold’ Zantedeschia cultivars. • In the Black Magic cultivar unconditioned flowers kept in gibberellic acid solutions at concentrations of 50 and 100mg/l preserved their ornamental qualities the longest. • In ‘Florex Gold’ cultivar also both concentrations of GA prolonged the post harvest longevity of flowers. • In the Florex Gold cultivar 2 hr conditioning of flowers in a solution of 8 HQC extended their longevity by an average of 6 days.

Grading and packing • Callas are usually graded based on stem length. White varieties 70-120cm. Colored varieties 50-70cm. • Long stemmed callas are packed in bunches of 5 and small stemmed callas in 10. • Each bunch is wrapped with white tissue around the flowers. • The bunches are then packed in card board cartons which are lined to cushion the flowers and packed firmly to avoid flower movement in transit.

Use of growth regulators

• Critical factors for zantedeschia as a potted flowering plant include flower number, plant height and shoot and leaf number. • Plants with minimum height, more number of shoots, and more number of flowers with less peduncle length are important for a potted plant. • More number of flowers as well as longer peduncle length are important for a plant meant for cut flower production. • For a plant growing for foliage purpose, number of leaves is important factor. • For extended availability of cut blooms from deciduous species currently requires tuber

Use of growth regulators contd.. • Height of zantedeschia can be reduced by the use of growth retardant paclobutrazole when applied as soon as shoots begin to emerge. • Repeated applications may be needed, depending on growing conditions and cultivar. • For smaller cultivars a range from 6 ppm should help control height but for more vigorous hybrids the rates may need to go up to 10 ppm.

Dwarfing effects of paclobutrazol and chlorocholine chloride on potted Zantedeschia antedeschia. • Height control of potted Zantedeschia is important. • The effects of paclobutrazol (200, 300 or 400 mg/litre) and chlorocholine chloride [chlormequat] (ccc; 1000, 1500 or 2000 mg/litre) on the growth of zantedeschia cultivars on improved Lavender Gem and Super Gem were studied. • Dwarfed plants with thick stems were obtained by spraying of paclobutrazol and ccc weekly for one month. • Paclobutrazol was more effective than ccc in dwarfing of plants, and the optimum

Growth regulators contd.. • Extensive work has been done to know the effect of gibberellic acid on flower yield and quality. • Gibberellic acid can also be used to assure flowering of 1or 2 yr old tubers and increase the number of stems per tuber. • It can be applied at 50 to 100ppm as a 30 min. tuber dip to stimulate growth and flowering. • A seven fold increase in flower number by foliar spray of Gibberellins at 100ppm was reported (Singh et al., 2001).

Use of growth regulatorsYusef contd. S. Ali and T.

• Growth and flowering ofElkiey calla lily was studied 1995 by applying GA3 @ 0, 250 and 500ppm and chlormequat @ 0, 1000 and 3000ppm as tuber dip and foliar spray either individually or in combination. • GA3 treatments either as rhizome spray or as foliar spray at both concentrations significantly increased plant height. • Treatment of rhizomes with CCC 3000ppm inhibited growth of Zantedeschia plants. • GA3 treatment sequentially applied with CCC overcame the limitation of plant height

T1 control T2 250ppm GA3 soaking T3 250ppm GA3 foliar spray T4 500ppm GA3soaking T5 500ppm GA3 foliar spray T6 1000ppm CCC soaking T7 1000ppm CCC drench T8 3000ppm CCC soaking T9 3000ppm CCC drench T10 250ppm GA3 soaking + 1000ppm CCC drench T11 500ppm GA3 soaking + 3000ppm CCC drench

GA3 and CCC on days to flower: • Pre plant treatment of rhizomes with GA3 at both concentrations significantly promoted earliness in flowering by 6 days than control. • All the CCC treatments singly delayed the promotion of flowering by 5-7 days. • Treatments 250ppm GA3 sequentially applied with 1000ppm CCC also significantly delayed the flower initiation by 5 days.

T1 control T2 250ppm GA3 soaking T3 250ppm GA3 foliar spray T4 500ppm GA3 soaking T5 500ppm GA3 foliar spray T6 1000ppm CCC soaking T7 1000ppm CCC drench T8 3000ppm CCC soaking T9 3000ppm CCC drench T10 250ppm GA3 soaking + 1000ppm CCC drench T11 500ppm GA3 soaking +

• GA3 and CCC on Total number of flowers: • Only pre plant soaking of rhizomes with either 250ppm or 500ppm GA3 produced significantly higher number of flowers per plant. • Foliar spray of GA3 was ineffective in increasing the number of flowers. • CCC either as soaking or as foliar spray was ineffective in decreasing the number of flowers compared to control. • When GA3 sequentially applied with CCC either as rhizome soaking or as foliar spray, the number of flowers were significantly increased.

T1 control T2 250ppm GA3 soaking T3 250ppm GA3 foliar spray T4 500ppm GA3 soaking T5 500ppm GA3 foliar spray T6 1000ppm CCC soaking T7 1000ppm CCC drench T8 3000ppm CCC soaking T9 3000ppm CCC drench T10 250ppm GA3 soaking + 1000ppm CCC drench T11 500ppm GA3 soaking +

Gibberellin- induced flowering in small tubers of Zantedeschia ‘Black Magic’ Brooking and

Cohen 2002

• Small tubers of Zantedeschia ‘Black Magic’ were used to study the induction of flowering by GA3 and combination of GA4 + GA7 • The proportion of shoots initiating inflorescences increased with increased doses of either gibberellin type. • In addition, there was an increase in the proportion of initiated flowers that subsequently emerged and an increase in the initiation of axillary buds.

Tuber lifting • After harvest of flowers the plants need to be maintained by continuing irrigation as rhizomes continue to increase in size.

• Senescence begins with the onset of yellow and decaying leaves and tubers can be lifted by hand digging or modified potato harvesters. • During plant senescence, tuberization (the replication of new tubers) is completed.

Tuber lifting • A protective skin begins to develop on the exterior of rhizomes. • Warm temperatures accelerates this process. • Great care should be taken during lifting, as young tubers are easily bruised or injured, allowing diseases to enter. • It is also important not to harvest the tubers prior to the beginning of plant senescence.

Curing • Wash tubers gently to remove soil. • Then dip tubers in an appropriate fungicide solution (e.g. Kocide) for 5-10 minutes. This helps to eliminate fungal pathogens. Dry tubers within 4-6 hours with air assisted fans. • Subsequently cure bulbs for 3-7 days ensuring good air movement. • Temperature and humidity in the curing chamber or empty glass houses should be maintained between 20-240c. And 7080% respectively for 2 weeks.

Curing contd.. • This curing stage is important in forming an outer skin on the tuber, which acts as a barrier to dehydration and disease. • When curing is over roots are removed and rhizomes are placed top side up in boxes or trays with dry packing. • The dry packing material may be saw dust, wood shavings or rice hulls which prevent continued water loss and prevent shrinkage of rhizomes.

References • Peng Feng, Chen Yan Yan, HaoMing, Xia Bing 2000 Dwarfing effects of paclobutrazol and chlorocholine chloride on potted Zantedeschia antedeschia. Journal of Plant Resources and Environment. 63 (2): 178-179. • Corr B Weidmer R E 1987 Gibberellic acid increases flower number in Zantedeschia elliottiana and Zantedeschia rehmanii. Hort Science 22 (4): 605-607. • Clemens J Dennis J and Butler R C 1998 Mineral Nutrition of Zantedeschia plants effect plant survival, tuber yield and flowering upon replanting. Journal of Horticultural Science and Biotechnology 73: 755-762.