Abstract

The experiment was conducted to study the influence of different graded levels of calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) on Cymbidium hybrid ‘Mint Ice Glacier’ during the year 2008 to 2012. Application of Ca and Mg alone or in combination significantly influenced the different growth parameters like plant height, vegetative shoot clump^-1 and number of leaves clump^-1 as well as flowering parameters like spike length, rachis length, number of floret spike^-1 and number of spikes clump^-1. The different growth parameters recorded significant value at higher doses of Ca (300 and 500 mg kg^-1). However, there was no significant difference in growth character between Mg at 100 and 300 mg kg^-1. The highest plant height, vegetative shoot clump^-1 and number of leaves clump^-1 were 75.1, 12.6 and 45.3 cm, respectively in the treatment Ca₅₀₀Mg₃₀₀. Application of Ca at lower doses (100 and 300 mg kg^-1) had significant influence on flowering parameter compared to Ca at 500 mg kg^-1. The number of standard spikes (70 to 100 cm) gradually increased with increasing doses of Ca (0 to 500 mg kg^-1) and Mg (0 to 300 mg kg^-1). However, the number of intermediate spikes (60 to 70 cm) increased with increasing doses of Ca and decreased with increasing doses of Mg. The highest spike length, rachis length, number of floret spike^-1 and number of spikes clump^-1 were 90.5, 62.1, 18.5 and 7.9 cm, respectively in the treatment Ca₅₀₀Mg₃₀₀. The nutrient content of growing media as well as in Cymbidium leaf gradually increased with increasing doses of Ca and Mg. The correlations studies indicated that all the growth and flowering parameter were better correlated with Mg than Ca.

Key words: Cymbidium, calcium, flowering, growth, magnesium.