Green-house production

technology of gerbera

Submitted by:-
Upama ping
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 Gerbera Cultivation

Gerbera is important commercial cut flower crop, and Gerbera flowers

have a wide range of colours including yellow, orange, cream-white,
pink, brick red, red colour, terracotta and various other intermediate
colours. Sometimes in double varieties, bicolour flowers are beautiful;
Gerbera flower stalks are long, thin and leafy.
In Greenhouse Gerbera cultivated in Soil or Soilless media ( coco
peat). both have own advantage & limitation.
• Gerbera cultivation cost increase in soilless media is around 20-30%.
• Production is higher in soilless media compare to soil media.
• Required very close monitoring.
• Soilless media is suitable for the large area more than 2 Acre.
• In India mostly soil media preferred for gerbera cultivation due to
electricity & irrigated water quality.
The major Gerbera producing states in India are Maharashtra,
Karnataka, Gujarat, Tamilnadu, West Bengal and Himachal Pradesh.
 Soil
There are two primary factors are considered while
selecting soil –
• The soil pH must be between 5.5 to 6.5.
• The soil salinity level does not exceed 1 mS/cm; For
better root growth and better penetration of roots,
the soil should be highly porous and well drained.
• Red lateritic soil ideal soil for Gerbera cultivation.
Therefore, as soon as you decide gerbera cultivation
project site, you should analyse soil as early as.
 Climate
• Production of quality flowers requires shade
house (50%) or naturally ventilated polyhouse.
Day temperature of 22-25°C and night
temperature of 12-16°C are ideal.
 Bed preparation

Gerbera plant required well-drained soil, so they grow on raised beds; The
dimensions of the bed should be as follows:
Bed height: 1.5 feet (45 cm)
Bed width: 2 feet (60 cm)
Between the beds: 1 feet (30 cm)
If the soil is black cotton, for better drainage, gravel or murum (6 “layer) can
be added and recommended quantity of soil along with biological
composting (FYM) is added.
FYM is Increasing soil texture and give nutrition gradually to the plant.
Neem cake (@ 1 kg / m) is add in Bed preparation because of the prevention
of nematode disease.
All materials must be mixed well.
Bedding material structure:
 Basal fertilizer
supplements (after bed
preparation):
Chemical Area Quantity

Single Super Phosphate 20m2 5000gm

Biozyme Granules 20m2 400gm

Humiguard Granules 20m2 400gm

Magnesium Sulphate 20m2 1000gm

 Planting
Before Gerbera Planting Selecting good gerbera variety is important also
colour combination affect gerbera profit.
For marketing, purpose gerbera grower has a right colour combination in
the box. We use this colour combination in Greenhouse.

RED 20%

YELLOW 20%

PINK 20%

ORANGE 20%

WHITE 20%
 Gerbera variety
In India there is 5- 10 gerbera plant supplier nursery
available, Expert gerbera grower select an only particular
variety to form each nursery.
Famous : Dune ,Pre Intenzz, Intense, Winter Queen, Inferno,
Cacharelle, Jaffa, Dana Ellen, Sangria, Diana,
Imperial, Thalsa, Sonsara, Balance, Paganini, Anneke,
Nette, Rosaline, Rosetta, Gloria.
List of top Gerbera plant nursery suppliers
This are India’s top reliable gerbera plant provider
companies
• KF Bioplants
• Florance Flora
• Rise & Shine
 Transplanting
When transplanting Gerbera plants, plant
crown should be above 1 – 2 cm soil level without
disturbing the root ball.

Two rows are planted on one bed, the distance

between two rows is 37.5 cm and 30 centimeters
between plants in one line, i.e.
Rows -Rows = 37.5 cm = 1.25 Ft
Plant – Plant = 30.0 cm = 1′ Ft
 Propagation
• Gerbera is propagated by seed, by cuttings of side shoots
and suckers.
• Seeds : Seed is set if cross-pollinated. Sowing of seed may
be done in almost any season. Seeds germinate in 15 to
20oC within two weeks; otherwise it may take up to 30
days. Plants from seeds will bloom in the second year and
produce good flowers from the third year onwards.
• Vegetative : Side shoots, with some amount of heel, is
utilized for. Divisions/ suckers, cuttings are also used.
• Micro propagation : The plant parts used as explants for
micro propagation are Shoot tips, Leaf mid-rib, Capitulum,
Flower heads, Inflorescence and Buds. Murashige and
Skoog (MS) media with modification is successfully used as
culture media.
 Fertilization
• Fertigation starts After three weeks of a plantation. starter grade
fertilizer gives For first three months. Every alternate day Fertilizer
dose provides to the plant.
• After 45-50days, flower bud started to grow, the cut flower bud
(disbudding operation) to complete growth of the plant when 16 to
18 fully developed leaves seen on plant stop flower bud cutting.
• After this, give productive phase fertilizer. In this period, N: P: K2: 1:
4 (e.g., N: P: K 15: 8: 35) @ 0.4 g / Plants give each alternate day to
increase volume and quality with EC 1.5 ms/cm.
• For optimum results, irrigation in small quantities and often
fertilized.
• Micronutrients have given according to the symptoms of (e.g.,
Combi II, Microscope B, Rexolin, Sequel and Mahabrexil @ 40 grams
per 1000 liters of water).
• Analyze soil on every 2 to 3 months to decide the specially
Nutritious schedule
 Important intercultural operations
Weeding and raking of soil:
• Weeds compete for gerbera plant, take the nutrients
and affect the production. Hence, they should be
removed. Due to daily irrigation, the gerbera bed
surface becomes hard and hence raking of soil is
required. Raking increases soil aeration. Raking should
be done twice in a month.
Removal of old leaves:
• The old, dry, infested leaves should be removed from
the plant it helps in keeping the disease and pest
infestation below the economic threshold level.
• Disbudding:
• Removal of inferior quality flowers at the initial
stage after plantation is called disbudding. The
normal production of gerbera plants starts after
75 - 90 days from the date of plantation.
Production of flowers starts 45 days after
plantation but initial production is of inferior
quality, hence these flowers should be removed
from the base of the flowers stalk. this helps in
making the plant strong and healthy.
 Disease

Powdery mildew:
• Powdery mildew affects photosynthesis process of the plant. On the upper leaf
surface, a white powder is observed. powdery mildew is seen mostly in the winter
season
Crown rot:
• The crown of the plant turns black. crown rot is due to Phytophthora cryptogea
Root rot:
• Due to root rot plant drop younger leaves then dead. Root rot is Due to Pythium.
Fungal Complex:
• Gerbera Plant become week & show stunted growth.
Alternaria leaf spots:
• If moisture remains on the surface of the leaf for a long time, then Black circular
spots appear on the leaves.
Botrytis:
• Botrytis occurs when the relative humidity of the air is more than 92 %. In botrytis
Gray spot seen on the flower
 pest
Whitefly:

Whitefly is a serious pest in the greenhouse, and you must control

whitefly at initial stage then it is difficult to control afterword.
The hot and dry climate is suitable for whitefly growth, whitefly feeds
on the lower part of the leaves; a lot of honeydew secrete which leads
to the development of black Sufi mold on the leaves.
For identify whitefly in greenhouse/ polyhouse use yellow sticky traps.

Leaf Miner:
Leaf miner causes White robes on the
leaves. White spiral tunnel in leaves due to
larvae, which remains in the soil
Red Mites: Suck the juice from the lower side of the leaves, which develop brown spots on the lower
surface of the leaves, resulting in the drying of the leaves in the margins. Webbing on flower petals

Cyclamen Mites: Cyclamen mites cause on old leaves are curled up & Young leaves in deformed in shape.
Flowers petals quality & size will decrease

Caterpillar: Creates a spherical hole in the abdominal stomach by eating. In the case of floral attacks, it
causes white spots on petals.

Thrips: Thrips cause straps on a flower petal. Flower size and shape distorted. Silver-spotted patches on
leaves

Snails / Slug: snails/slug come to eat during the night hours, so the symptom of snails/slug is on the leaves
and flowers petals through circular feeding holes.

Nematodes: Due to nematode plant leaves become Yellow so stunted growth of the plant. Dirty water in
the rainy season, there are favorable conditions for the development and spread of nematodes.

Mealybugs : plant leaves become yellowish & distorted in size

Aphids: aphids ejaculate some substance on which fungus develop it is harmful to gerbera plant.
 Pest management
• Under protected cultivation conditions, use of Insect-proof screens
acts as physical barriers to exclude insect-pests.
• Sanitation in terms of using pest free planting materials, soil
solarisation and removal of infested plant parts are key pest
management practices.
• Prudent Fertilization based on balanced use of nutrients to be
followed. Excess Nitrogen application to be avoided.
• For management of root knot nematode, application of carbofuran
at 2 kg a.i./ha in combination with neem seed powder @ 100 g/m2
is effective.
• Leaf spot disease of gerbera could be controlled by treating the
plants with Benomyl (0.1%) followed by Kavach (0.2%).
• Spraying of copper oxychloride (0.3%), followed by Mancozeb
(0.2%) was found superior in reducing leaf spot/ blight disease in
gerbera.
 Harvesting
After 30-45 days of gerbera, plantation bud initial started,
but the initial bud is inferior quality. Hence this bud should
be removed from the base of the flowers stalk.
This disbudding helps in making the plant strong and
healthy. This operation carried out up to 80 -85 days.
The first flowers harvested after 12-14 week ( 85- 90 days )
after planting. When the stomach 2 – 3 Varlo is fully
developing then Flowers are a harvest; It will decide the life
of flower vase.
The good gerbera flower has stalk length is 45-55cm, and
diameter of the flower is 10 – 12cm.
Morning or evening is the best time for gerbera flower
harvesting.
Skilled labours are required for harvestings.
Harvested flower kept in a bucket containing clean water.
Flowers are very delicate hence they should be carefully
handled.
One Gerbera plant produces approximately 45 flowers per
year.
THANK YOU