Studies on the effect of planting date, mulch and fertigation on Tuberose Bulb (Agave amica L.)

Introduction

Tuberose (Agave amica L.), formerly known as Polianthes tuberosa, is recognized as one of the most important ornamental bulbous crops belonging to the family Asparagaceae. It is widely cultivated in tropical and subtropical regions for its highly fragrant and attractive flowers, which are extensively utilized as cut flowers, loose flowers, and for the extraction of essential oil in the perfume and cosmetic industries (Singh et al. 2019) [16] . Considerable commercial importance has been attributed to this crop due to its long vase life, high economic returns and continuous market demand. The genus Polianthes is reported to have originated in Mexico and it has been cultivated since ancient times for ornamental and aromatic purposes (Rao and Reddy, 2017) [12] . The presence of aromatic compounds such as geraniol, nerol, benzyl alcohol and eugenol in tuberose flowers has been documented, contributing to its characteristic fragrance and industrial significance (Kumar et al. 2020) [9] . The productivity and quality of tuberose have been found to be greatly influenced by various agronomic practices, among which planting date, mulching, and fertigation are considered critical factors. The planting date is known to influence sprouting, vegetative growth, flowering behavior, and yield, as it is governed by prevailing environmental conditions such as temperature and photoperiod (Patel et al. 2018) [10] . It has been reported that optimum planting time ensures better growth and early flowering, thereby improving yield and quality. Mulching has been widely adopted as an important cultural practice for conserving soil moisture, moderating soil temperature, suppressing weed growth and improving soil physical conditions. The beneficial effects of plastic mulch, particularly black polyethylene mulch, on growth and yield parameters of tuberose have been demonstrated in several studies (Sharma et al. 2019) [15] . Fertigation, defined as the application of fertilizers through irrigation systems, has been increasingly used as an efficient nutrient management practice. Improved Nutrient use efficiency, reduced nutrient losses and enhanced plant growth and yield have been achieved through fertigation (Yadav et al. 2021) [20] . It has been suggested that the integration of fertigation with suitable planting dates and mulching practices can significantly improve crop performance. Although the individual effects of planting date, mulch and fertigation have been investigated by several researchers, limited information is available regarding their combined influence under specific agro-climatic conditions. Therefore, the present investigation entitled "Studies on the effect of planting date, mulch and fertigation on tuberose bulb (Agave amica L.)" has been undertaken to evaluate the combined effect of these factors on bulb yield to identify the most suitable combination for maximizing productivity under local conditions.

Material and Methods

The field experiment was conducted at the PFDC (Precision Farming Development Centre), Raipur, under the College of Agriculture, IGKV, during the years 2023-24 and 2024-25. The study followed a split-split plot design with three replications, comprising 24 treatment combinations. These included three planting dates (30th May, 30th June, and 30th July), two mulch treatments (silver-on-black plastic mulch with waste leaves and silver-on-black plastic mulch without waste leaves), and four fertigation levels (60%, 75%, 90% and 100% of the recommended dose of fertilizers). In this design, planting dates were assigned to the main plots, mulch treatments to the sub-plots and fertigation levels to the subsub plots. The experimental site at Raipur falls under a dry sub-humid agroclimatic zone and is geographically located at 21.25° N latitude and 81.03° E longitude, with an elevation of 298 meters above mean sea level. [2,4,5,11,13,18] .

It is evident from the data that the effect of planting dates, mulches, fertigation levels was noted the maximum bulb diameter (3. [3,4,5,6,7,11,18] .

Number of bulblet / plant

The influence of planting date, mulch, fertigation in tuberose was found significantly higher at weight of bulblet. [3,4,5,11,14,17,18,19] .

It is clear from the data on diameter of bulblet that 30th June planting (D1) recorded maximum Diameter of bulblet ( [3,4,5,7,11] .

It is crystal clear from the data on bulb yield per plot was recorded maximum (1350. [1,3,8,10] . [1,8] .Comparable findings have been reported in onion (Allium cepa), where balanced fertigation improved bulb yield and quality by optimizing nutrient use efficiency (Patel et al.

2018) [10] . Overall, higher bulblet yield per plant reflects better sourcesink relationships, ensuring sufficient assimilate storage in bulbs for vigorous sprouting, longer spikes and higher flower and bulb yield. These findings highlight the importance of optimal planting date, organic mulching and balanced fertigation in enhancing both bulb and bulblet development and subsequent flowering quality in bulbous crops.

The interaction effects between, planting date and mulch, planting date and fertigation, mulch and fertigation and combined effect of all three factors (planting date, mulch and fertigation) on individual bulb weight (g), bulb diameter (cm), number of bulblets, bulblet weight (g), bulblet diameter (cm), bulb yield per plot (kg), and bulblet yield per plot (kg) per plot was found non-significant during both the years and on mean basis.

Conclusion

The present investigation clearly demonstrates that bulb growth, yield and quality of tuberose were significantly influenced by planting date, mulching, and fertigation levels. Among the treatments, 30th June planting proved most effective, as favourable environmental conditions during this period enhanced photosynthesis, carbohydrate accumulation, and their efficient partitioning to bulb tissues, resulting in improved bulb size, weight and yield. Mulching with silver-onblack polythene combined with organic residues created a favourable rhizospheric microclimate by conserving soil moisture, regulating temperature, and enhancing nutrient availability, which further supported bulb development. Fertigation at 90% RDF was found optimal, ensuring balanced nutrient supply and higher nutrient use efficiency, thereby strengthening sink activity and promoting greater assimilate storage in bulbs. Overall, the combined effect of optimum planting time, improved soil environment through mulching, and efficient nutrient management through fertigation significantly enhanced bulb parameters, indicating that this integrated approach is most suitable for maximizing bulb production and quality in tuberose.

Factor

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