Effect of graded levels of farmyard manure and nitrogen on growth, flowering and bulb production of tuberose (Polianthes tuberosa) cv. Suvasini

unknown. A field experiment on response of graded levels of farmyard manure and nitrogen on growth, flowering and bulb production of tuberose was carried out from April 2012 to March 2013 at Instructional Farm, Department of Floriculture, College of Horticulture and Forestry, Pasighat, Arunachal Pradesh. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Block Design (RBD) having eight treatments of FYM and nitrogen, viz. 0 t/ha, 10 t/ha, 20 t/ha, 30 t/ha, 60 kg/ha, 120 kg/ha, 180 kg/ha and 240 kg/ha were compared to find out substitute of inorganic fertilizers under agro-climatic conditions of Pasighat. Significant response of graded levels of farmyard manure and nitrogen on growth, flowering and bulb production of tuberose over control was observed during entire studies. Earliness in flowering (70.68 days), highest spike length (91.29 cm), rachis length (24.54 cm), prolonged vase-life (15.40 days), increased fresh weight of bulbs per clump (150.64g) and bulb yield (13.89 tonnes/ha) was associated with application of farm yard manure at 30 t/ha. However, maximum plant height (47.25 cm), number of leaves/clump (91.56), number of florets/spike (27.43), number of bulbs/clump (13.73), number of bulblets/clump (9.48) and fresh weight of bulblets/clump (11.93) was observed with nitrogen at 180 kg/ha which were at par with farmyard manure at 30 t/ha, except number of leaves/clump, number of bulbs/clump and fresh weight of bulblets/clump, respectively. Higher levels of farm yard manure and nitrogen enhanced growth, flowering and bulb production of tuberose as compared to lower dose. Use of higher levels of farm yard manure may be a viable alternative of nitrogenous source for quality production of floricultural crops.