Journal of Advances in Biology & Biotechnology

An investigation was carried out during March to October in the year 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 at Horticulture research station, Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Mondouri, Nadia, West Bengal, India to study the effect of polythene mulching (silver coated, 40 micron) on vegetative growth and flowering behaviour in tuberose (Polianthes tuberosa L). The experiment was conducted with four leading varieties of tuberose under mulching and non-mulching in Factorial Randomized Complete Block Design each having three replications. Significant difference was noticed among the treatments in terms of vegetative growth and flowering characters. It was found that poly-mulching had positive response on vegetative growth in all the varieties. Early flowering was also noticed in case of poly-mulching (105.25 days). Poly-mulching markedly increased flower yield (348.36 q ha^-1) over non- mulching (278.76 q ha^-1) and it was also noticed that the varieties with poly-mulching recorded higher loose flower yield in Bidhan Ujjwal (532.45 q ha^-1), Phule Rajani (252.98 q ha^-1), Prajwal (396.02 q ha^-1) and Calcutta Single (212 q ha^-1) than non-mulch treatments with these varieties. Regarding quality of flower production with mulching it was revealed that spike length, floret length and vase life of flowers in tap water were improved in almost all the varieties. Higher potassium and chlorophyll content in leaves was observed in case of mulching treated plant, but the lower level of phosphate and nitrogen was noticed in all the varieties. From the experimental study it can be concluded that Bidhan Ujjwal variety with poly-mulching was found to be best for cultivation under the subtropical zone of West Bengal.