The agroecological conditions of the Eastern Ghats region of Andhra Pradesh with modest temperatures, high rainfall, and relative humidity provide immense opportunities for orchid farming. By considering the favourable climatic conditions available in the Eastern Ghats region of Andhra Pradesh, an experiment on the evaluation of different Dendrobium orchid hybrid varieties i.e. Sonia-17, New Pink, Queen Pink, Apricot, Venus, and Anna was conducted so as to recommend suitable orchid varieties in the Eastern Ghats region of Andhra Pradesh. The experiment was conducted at Dr YSRHU-Horticultural Research Station, Chintapalle during 2017-2020 with six hybrid varieties of Dendrobium in Complete Randomized Design with three replications. Amongst the six commercial Dendrobium orchid hybrids evaluated, the maximum plant height was recorded by the variety New Pink (60.23 cm) followed by Queen Pink (55.80 cm) whereas, the minimum plant height was noticed in Apricot (36.38 cm). The highest number of florets per spike was recorded in the variety New Pink (13.75) followed by Queen Pink (11.60). Spike length was the highest in variety New Pink (51.81 cm) followed by Queen Pink (48.07 cm). The highest number of spikes per plant per year was recorded by New Pink (5.90) followed by the varieties Sonia-17 (5.10) and Queen Pink (5). Based on the observations, three hybrids i.e. New Pink, Queen Pink, and Sonia have been found suitable for cultivation in the Eastern Ghats Region of Andhra Pradesh.
https://doi.org/10.64873/JOSI.v37.i1-2.151-153
THE HIMALAYAS has attained aunique position owing to its large altitudinal range, steep gradient, diverse habitats, snow capped mountains, complex geological structure, and rich flora.The Indian Himalayan region (IHR) as awholesupports nearly 50%of the total flowering plants in India, of which 30% flora is endemic to the region. It isone of the megadiverse regions of India and supports about 8,500 flowering plants (Singhand Hajra, 1996).This region is one of the largest vaults of orchids. Orchidaceae is considered asthe second largest family of flowering plants, with estimatesof 705 genera(POWO, 2023) and 29,481 species (WFO, 2023) with more than 1,50,000 man-made hybrids (De and Pathak, 2020; Prakash and Pathak, 2020a).These plants rank amongst the most significant ornamental plants, known for the beauty, colour combinations, and shapeof their flowers and have always been interesting to evolutionary biologists because of their remarkable floral forms and diversity in pollination systems (Prakash and Pathak, 2020b, 2022). Orchids are widely distributed in the tropical,sub-tropical,temperate, sub-alpine, and alpine regions in all continents except Antarctica, but reach their maximum diversity in the humid tropical regions. Orchidaceaecovers the 6.8%of the flowering plants in India (Samant, 2002) along with over 1,256 species belonging to 155genera (Singh etal., 2019).
The present investigation was carried out for the exploration of orchids in lnderkila National Park, located in Kullu District of the Himachal Pradesh. Eighteen species of the orchids representing 12 genera were recorded during the present investigation. Majority of these orchid species were found to grow between 2815-3800 m amsl. Amongst the presently investigated species, 11 species were native and 4 were near endemic to the Indian Himalayan Region. Eight habitats were identified and majority of the orchid species were reported in shady moist and moist alpine slope habitats. Most of the species were used for curing various diseases by the inhabitants of the valley. Dactylorhiza hatagirea and Malaxis muscifera are high attitude species. Due to high commercial/medicinal values of Dactylorhiza hatagirea and Ma/axis muscifera, these species are facing high anthropogenic pressure, leading to their rapid population depletion in the area.The conservation of such orchid species underscores the importance of protecting the intricate web of life on earth, acknowledging their ecological significance, and recognizing the need for concerned efforts to ensure their continued existence for the benefits of both nature and mankind. Preserving this remarkable plant family is not only atestament to our commitment to understanding and safeguarding earths diverse ecosystem, but also a key to unlocking potential benefits for science, medicine, and horticulture. Therefore, regular monitoring of populations of orchids in relation to climate scenario has been suggested for understanding the dynamics of the species and develop strategies for conservation.
Krishna Chowlu. 2022. A Glimpse into Orchids of Namsai District of Arunachal Pradesh. Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh, Dehradun, India. Pp. 182. ISBN 978-93-93628-53-4.
Dr Krishna Chowlu, Scientist C, Botanical Survey of India, Arunachal Pradesh Regional Centre, Itanagar, has been working on Orchid Flora for more than a decade. She is the Life Member of ‘The Orchid Society of India’. The book AGlimpse into Orchids of Namsai District ofArunachal Pradesh presents the amalgamation of an updated checklist of orchids of Namsai District of Arunachal Pradesh, supplemented with descriptions and photographs of orchids allowing the reader a better understanding and develop great interest towards most fascinating and diverse plant family, Orchidaceae. This book lists a total of 73 orchid taxa. Amongst these, 9 species are terrestrial, 1 is myco-heterotroph, and rest are epiphytic. Dendrobium with 15 species is the dominant genus. Anumber of species, e.g.,Aerides rosea, Dendrobium fimbriatum,
D. nobile, D. transparens, Papilionanthe teres, and Rhynchostylis retusa are also grown in the home gardens. Apart from the basic information on orchids, their history, medicinal properties, and artificial key to genera are also provided. Presentation of text and photographs contains photo plates and brief description of the species. For each taxon, the correct name with protologue citation, followed by concise information of life forms, phenology, and Indian and global distribution is provided. The morphological characters oforchids including different typesof pollinia, gynostegium/ column, labellum, floral morphology, and tubers have beendescribed in the book. Minute variations in different species of same genera are excellently demarcated
The present study was undertaken in Dendrobium var. Sonia Born Jo and Renappa to assess the influence of different levels of shade on growth parameters, quality flower production, pigment content, nutrient uptake, and post-harvest characters. The present data revealed that the different levels of shade significantly influenced the morphological characters of the plant i.e. plant height, shoot production, internodal length, leaf production, and early flowering. Maximum plant height was obtainedfor fifty per cent double level shading. The length of the internode was maximum for 50 per cent double level shading. Highest leaf production was noticed in 35 per cent double level shading which was statistically at par with 50 per cent double level of shade. Flower quality and production were markedly influenced by shade. Fifty per cent double level of shade was superior for anthocyanin content, vase life, and longevity of spike on the plant.
https://doi.org/10.64873/JOSI.v37.i1-2.135-140