Hippeastrum : An excellent bulbous plant at National Botanical Research

Abstract

Hippeastrum is an excellent bulbous plant bearing beautiful flowers on the flowering scape emerging from bulbs during mid-February to April, a period when there is real scarcity of the flowers in the north Indian plains. It is grown for flowers which can be used to beautifying the garden an.d decorate the verandah and also for great demand as cut flowers in floriculture trade. National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI), Lucknow, is one of the pioneer institutions which has done a commendable work on Hippeastrum. Blooming period has been expanded and vase life of cut flower has been increased through post-harvest physiological manipulation. Indiscriminate intervarietal hybridization resulted into the development of promising hybrids suitable for growing in northern plains. Under improvement. programme, continuous multidisciplinary approaches are going on at NBRI, Lucknow for the development of new and novel hybrids for floriculture industry.