Carnation (Dianthus caryophyllus) ; Caryophyllaceae
Red – Domingo, Master, Gaudina, Leopardii, Big Red, Taureg, Guapo, Aicardii
White – Baltico, White Liberty, Emotion, White Dona, Lisa
Pink – Dona, Charmant, Dumas, Pink Dover, Bizet
Light pink – Charmant, Cipro Big Mama, Dona, Golem
Yellow – Diana, Kiro, Soto, Salamanca, Liberty
Orange – Solar, Star, Folgore
Double – Malaga, Star, Athena, Happy Golem
Naturally ventilated aerodynamic steel frame structure.
Climate
Cool climate with day temperature of 18-240C and night temperature of 10-150C;
relative humidity of 70 -75 %
Soil
Well drained red loamy soil with pH of 5.5 – 6.5.
Terminal stem cuttings
Field Preparation and planting
Fumigation: Dazomet @ 30g/m2 or H2O2 @ 300 ml/m2 .
Bed size: 100 cm width, 30 cm height, convenient length with 40 cm foot path.
6 row planting – 15x15cm (25 plants/meter sq.).
4 row planting – 15x15cm (22 plants/meter sq.) .
Drip system with drippers at 30 cm spacing (5-6 l/m2/day).
The following fertigation schedule can be adopted for intensive production under polyhouse conditions.
Nutrients Quantity (g/m2/week)
Till bud formation Bud formation to harvest
Tank-A (Monday and Thursday)
Ammonium Nitrate 3.0g 2.0 g
19:19:19 3.0 g 2.0 g
Magnesium Sulphate 2.5 g 2.5 g
Boron 1.0 g 1.0 g
Trace elements / micronutrients 1.0 g 1.0 g
Tank – B (Tuesday and Friday)
Potassium Nitrate 5.0 g 5.0 g
Calcium Nitrate 8.0 g 9.0 g
Netting for plant support: 4 layers
1st layer: 7.5 x 7.5 cm
2nd layer: 10 x 10 cm
3rd layer: 12.5 x 12.5 cm
4th layer: 15 x 15 cm
Pinching
Depending upon the need of crop spread, single, one and a half or double pinch method is adopted.
Ideal time for pinching is early morning.
When the plant attains 5 nodes, the first pinch is given. This is called ‘single pinch‘. This would give rise to six lateral shoots.
With a ‘one and half pinch‘, 2-3 of these lateral shoots are pinched again. For the ‘double pinch‘, all the lateral shoots are pinched off.
Disbudding
In standard carnations, side buds should be removed whereas in spray carnations, the terminal bud has to be removed.
Pests
Thrips : Spray Dimethoate @ 2 ml/l or Fipronil @ 1.5 ml/l
Red spider mites
Release coccinellid beetle Stethorus pauperculus and predatory mite Amblyseius sp @ 10 mites /plant or spray abamectin 1.8 EC @ 0.5 ml/lit of water or Spiromesifen @ 0.8 ml/l or Hexythiazox @ 1.5 ml/l
Fusarium wilt: Soil drenching with carbendazim @ 0.1 % or difenoconazole @ 0.05 % or Pseudomonas fluorescens as soil application @ 25 g/m2 and foliar application @ 0.5 % at monthly intervals or soil drenching with Bacillus amyloliquefaciens @ 0.5 % at monthly intervals
Alternaria leaf spot: Bacillus subtilis as soil application @ 25 g/m2 followed by foliar application @ 0.5 % at monthly intervals
Physiological disorder
Calyx splitting: Spray borax @ 1 g/l at fortnightly intervals till flower bud appearance and at weekly intervals thereafter.
Flowering starts 110-120 days after planting.
Stages of harvest
Standard types – paint brush stage
Spray types – when two flowers are open and the remaining flower buds show colour
Yield
15 flowers/plant (350 – 375 flowers stems/m2
) in 2 years period
Precision production techniques for carnation
S.No. Cultural Practice Recommendation
1. Fumigation Dazomet @ 30 g/m2
2. Media consortium 10:1:1 ratio of 30 kg/m2 of consortium with 25 kg of Farm Yard Manure, 2.5 kg of vermicompost, 2.5 kg of cocopeat
with the biofertilizers Azospirillum, Phosphobacteria, VAM and the biocontrol agents Trichoderma viridae, Pseudomonas fluorescens each @ 20 g/m2 at bimonthly intervals
3. Planting density 15 x 15 cm with 25 plants/meter sq.
4. Planting stage and pinching level 30 day old rooted cuttings and single pinching at the 5th node
5. Precooling 4º C for 4 hours
6. Pulsing solution Sucrose 10 % + Citric acid 100 ppm + 8- Hydroxy Quinoline 400 ppm for 24 hours duration
7. Holding solution Sucrose 5 % + Citric acid 50 ppm + Benzyl Adenine 75 ppm
8. Wrapping and packaging techniques Polyethylene sleeves 50 gauge thickness + CFB with 4 % vent
The precision production techniques are to be followed along with the cultural practices recommended for the conventional system.
