Growth and flowering of tuberose (Polianthes tuberosa L.) as affected by adding poultry litter to the culture medium

This research was conducted to investigate the effect of poultry litter (PL) on vegetative growth and flower characteristics of tuberose (Polianthes tuberosa L.). The experiment was carried out as a completely randomizeddesign with nine treatments (each treatment with 4replications): 29.0 (T1), 31.5 (T2), 34.0 (T3), 36.5 (T4), 39.0(T5), 41.5 (T6), 44.0 (T7), 46.5 (T8) and 49.0 g (T9) PL in the soil mixture per pot (equivalent to 116, 126, 136, 146,156, 166, 176, 186 and 196 g m–2 in field) along with control. Results indicated that PL increased the height of flowering stem at T4, T5, T6 and T7; flower diameter at T8; diameter of flowering stem at T7; fresh weight of flowering stem at T3, T4, T5, T6, T7 and T8; fresh and dry weight of bulblet at T4 and shoot at T2; chlorophyll content at T3, T4, T5 and T6; bulblet diameter at T6; number of floret per inflorescence at T6 and T9; number of bulblet at T4; but had no effect on the length of flower, leaf area and root fresh and dry weight. Overall, adding PL had positive effect on tuberose growth and flowering and is recommended for using in the soil mixture of tuberose. To our knowledge this is the first report on using PL in the soil mixture of tuberose. Further investigations are needed to clarify how PL works on this bulbous plant.