Abstract
The cut-flower industry is witnessing rapid growth, with tropical ornamentals such as Heliconia commanding premium value for their vivid inflorescences and long vase life. Among production factors, light environment and propagule size critically influence growth and floral quality, yet their interactive effects remain poorly understood under Indian conditions. This two-year pot experiment (2022-2024) was conducted on the terrace garden of the Department of Floriculture and Landscaping, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan University, Bhubaneswar, to evaluate the response of Heliconia psittacorum ‘Golden Torch’ to two light intensities (open sun, 100 %; 50 % shade net) and three rhizome sizes (single-, double- and triple-node cuttings) in a factorial completely randomised design with four replications. Results revealed that full sun accelerated sprouting (17.15 days vs 19.47 days), enhanced vegetative-to-flowering shoot conversion (136.8 % vs 105.1 %) and produced more spikes per clump (3.68 vs 3.30) as compared to 50 % shade net. In contrast, 50 % shade significantly improved floral quality, with longer inflorescences (24.23 vs 19.03 inch), longer stalks (18.30 vs 14.94 inch), higher chlorophyll content (6.82 vs 5.09 mg cm-2) and prolonged spike longevity (16.2 vs 10.3 days) than open sun (100 %). Propagule size strongly influenced performance: triple-node rhizomes (P₃) produced the tallest plants, the largest leaf area (1009 cm²), the maximum spikes (4.66 clump-1) and superior physiological efficiency. Notably, the P₃ rhizome under protected conditions yielded the highest-quality spikes, while double-node rhizome under open conditions promoted earliness and higher spike numbers. The study concluded that growers targeting export markets should adopt 50 % shade with P₃ rhizomes for premium floral quality, whereas full-sun culture with double-node cuttings is better suited for rapid turnover in domestic markets. These findings provide the first evidence-based recommendations for optimizing Heliconia production under coastal Odisha conditions and can guide future commercial scale-up.
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Claims 15
Claim · model-written summary
Full sun accelerated sprouting to 17.15 versus 19.47 days.
HeliconiaOrganisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“full sun accelerated sprouting (17.15 days vs 19.47 days)”
t0“Heliconia cv. Golden Torch”
Claim · model-written summary
Full sun raised vegetative to flowering shoot conversion to 136.8% versus 105.1%.
- Treatment
- full sune1
- Outcome
- vegetative-to-flowering shoot conversione0
- Direction
- enhancede0
- Value
- 136.8 %e0
- Qualifier
- 105.1 %e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“enhanced vegetative-to-flowering shoot conversion (136.8 % vs 105.1 %)”
e1“full sun accelerated sprouting”
t0“Heliconia cv. Golden Torch”
Claim · model-written summary
Full sun raised spikes per clump to 3.68 versus 3.30.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“produced more spikes per clump (3.68 vs 3.30) as compared to 50 % shade net”
e1“full sun accelerated sprouting (17.15 days vs 19.47 days)”
t0“Heliconia cv. Golden Torch”
Claim · model-written summary
Shade increased inflorescence length to 24.23 versus 19.03 inch.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“50 % shade significantly improved floral quality, with longer inflorescences (24.23 vs 19.03 inch)”
t0“Heliconia cv. Golden Torch”
Claim · model-written summary
Shade increased stalk length to 18.30 versus 14.94 inch.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“longer stalks (18.30 vs 14.94 inch)”
e1“50 % shade significantly improved floral quality”
t0“Heliconia cv. Golden Torch”
Claim · model-written summary
Shade raised chlorophyll content to 6.82 versus 5.09 mg cm-2.
- Treatment
- 50 % shadee1
- Outcome
- chlorophyll contente0
- Direction
- highere0
- Value
- 6.82e0
- Qualifier
- 5.09 mg cm-2e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“higher chlorophyll content (6.82 vs 5.09 mg cm-2)”
e1“50 % shade significantly improved floral quality”
t0“Heliconia cv. Golden Torch”
Claim · model-written summary
Shade prolonged spike longevity to 16.2 versus 10.3 days.
- Treatment
- 50 % shadee1
- Outcome
- spike longevitye0
- Direction
- prolongede0
- Value
- 16.2e0
- Qualifier
- 10.3 dayse0
- Comparator
- open sune0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“prolonged spike longevity (16.2 vs 10.3 days) than open sun (100 %)”
e1“50 % shade significantly improved floral quality”
t0“Heliconia cv. Golden Torch”
Claim · model-written summary
Triple node rhizomes produced tallest plants.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“triple-node rhizomes (P₃) produced the tallest plants”
t0“Heliconia cv. Golden Torch”
Claim · model-written summary
Triple node rhizomes produced 1009 cm² leaf area.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“triple-node rhizomes (P₃) produced the tallest plants, the largest leaf area (1009 cm²)”
t0“Heliconia cv. Golden Torch”
Claim · model-written summary
Triple node rhizomes produced 4.66 spikes per clump.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“triple-node rhizomes (P₃) produced the tallest plants, the largest leaf area (1009 cm²), the maximum spikes (4.66 clump-1)”
t0“Heliconia cv. Golden Torch”
Claim · model-written summary
Triple node rhizomes had superior physiological efficiency.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“triple-node rhizomes (P₃) produced the tallest plants, the largest leaf area (1009 cm²), the maximum spikes (4.66 clump-1) and superior physiological efficiency”
t0“Heliconia cv. Golden Torch”
Claim · model-written summary
Triple node rhizomes under protection gave highest quality spikes.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the P₃ rhizome under protected conditions yielded the highest-quality spikes”
t0“Heliconia cv. Golden Torch”
Claim · model-written summary
Double node rhizomes in open conditions promoted earliness and spike numbers.
- Treatment
- double-node rhizome under open conditionse0
- Outcome
- earliness and higher spike numberse0
- Direction
- highere0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“double-node rhizome under open conditions promoted earliness and higher spike numbers”
t0“Heliconia cv. Golden Torch”
Claim · model-written summary
Growers targeting export markets should use 50% shade and P3 rhizomes.
- Outcome
- adopt 50 % shade with P₃ rhizomese0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“growers targeting export markets should adopt 50 % shade with P₃ rhizomes for premium floral quality”
t0“Heliconia cv. Golden Torch”
Claim · model-written summary
Full sun and double node cuttings are recommended for domestic rapid turnover.
- Outcome
- full-sun culture with double-node cuttingse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“full-sun culture with double-node cuttings is better suited for rapid turnover in domestic markets”
t0“Heliconia cv. Golden Torch”