Crossandra - introduction and uses – varieties - soil and climate and planting systems - weed, nutrition and irrigation management –special horticultural practices - role of growth regulators- harvest index and yield

1. Crossandra - introduction and uses – varieties - soil and climate
and planting systems - weed, nutrition and irrigation
management –special horticultural practices - role of growth
regulators- harvest index and yield
Lecture No.:7
Dr. M. Kumaresan
Assistant professor
Dept. of Horticulture
Adhiparasakthi Horticultural College

2. Crossandra undulaefolia syn. C. infundibuliformis (L) Nees

4. Importance
Traditional flower crop of India
Small evergreen shrub
Produce flowers throughout the year
Flowers are light weight, bright colour, good keeping quality
They are mostly used for veni making - hair adornment
Usually in combination with jasmine – colour contrast
Not fragrant as that of jasmine and tuberose
Also used as pot plant

8. ORANGE COLOURED SPECIES
C. undulaeflia or C. infundibuliformis – Scarlet Orange Flower
C. mucronata – Bright Deep Orange
C. fortuna – Light Orange
YELLOW COLOURED SPECIES
C.flava – Yellow Flower
C. pungens - Yellow Flower
C.mahatma – Saffron Yellow Flower
WHITE COLOURED SPECIES
C. guineensis - Pale Lilac Colour Flower
C. sebaculis
C. nilotica - Red/ Pink colour

17. Diane:
• A new and distinct cultivar of Crossandra infundibuliformis to
be known as `Diane`, having larger sized and more broadly
shaped leaves,.
• More robust and compact habit of growth and its flowers color
is a dark, richer shade of salmon orange.
• Petals are more rounded and larger in size than those of the
commonly cultivated variety.

18. Lakshmi Narayana Crossandra Innovation Centre
Innovative farmer-scientist - Mr. T. Vengadapathy Reddiar
-Koodapakkam village – Pondicherry
Developed many new varieties by chemical and irradiation
mutation techniques

22. Dr.A.P.J. Abdul Kalam - gamma ray induced mutant
- 1-1.5 times larger and bold flowers,
- more shelf life
- with stand long transportation
- deep red flowers
- long shelf life and flower year round
- mutant of delhi crossandra

27. Arka Kanaka
1. Local Yellow X Delhi
Crossandra
2. Bigger size flowers
3. 67% higher than the Local
cultivar
4. Novel colour of Orange
5. The weight /100 flowers
was11.9 g compared to its
parents 5.05 and 6.45 g
Arka Ambara
1. Local X Lakshmi
2. Bigger size flowers
3. 69% higher than the local
cultivar
4. The weight/l00 flowers was
13.01 g compared to its parents
6.24 and 6.47g
5. However inflorescence length,
hairy structures on
inflorescence resembles that of
Lakshmi

28. Arka Shreeya

29. Soil and climate
• Fertile, humus rich and well drained sandy or loamy and red
soil
• pH of 6 - 7.5
• Soils free from nematodes
• The crop performs well under tropical conditions
experiencing warm days (30 -35C) and with night
temperatures not less than 20C

30. Propagation
Seeds
• Seed rate is 5 kg / ha
• Fresh seeds are sown during July - October
• 60 day old seedlings are transplanted in the main field
• Delhi crossandra is propagated through rooted cuttings since
they do not produce seeds
• Terminal cuttings 0f 10 to 15 cm length are prepared during
rainy season and dipped in 1000 ppm IBA for better rooting

31. Propagation
Vegetative propagation
1. Cuttings
Both soft wood and semi-hard wood cuttings are used for
raising planting material. These are taken in February-march
or mid July-august. Cuttings take about 4-6 weeks to form
roots
2. Micro propagation

32. • Dip the roots of seedlings in Carbendazim (1 g/l of water) and
plant on one side of the ridge at 30 cm spacing.
• For seed production the spacing may be 60 x 60 cm.
• For Delhi Crossandra a spacing of 60 x 40 cm is to be
followed.
Season of planting:
July - September and October - November are best
planting seasons

33. Manuring and fertilization:
• Apply FYM 25 t/ha as basal and NPK at 75, 50 and 125 kg/ha as
top dressing 3 MAP
• Repeat NPK application at the same dose at half yearly intervals for
two more years and instead, of 75kg N apply N @ 60 kg/ha +
Azospirillum 2 kg/ha
Irrigation:
Life irrigation is done immediately
after planting and later at weekly
intervals

34. Biofertilizers:
• Soil application of 2 kg each of Azospirillum and
Phosphobacteria per ha at the time of planting.
• It is to be mixed with 100kg of FYM and applied.
Growth regulators:
• Spray Ascorbic acid 1000 ppm (1 g/lit of water) before
flowering.

35. Weed Management :
• Hand weeding and after cultivation.
• Spray Diuron (pre-emergence)@ 2.5 kg a.i/ha for controlling the
weeds.
Pinching:
• Removal of terminal growing portions of stem, i.e., pinching is
practiced when young to encourage growth and axillary branches.
• Maturity of flower bud is delayed by this practice
Pruning:
• Pruning of crossandra plant improve flower quality and plant vigour
• Light pruning is followed in late winter i.e., after flowering

36. Flowering
• Crossandra comes to flowering 2-3 months after planting and
continues to bear flowers throughout the year with a drop in
production during the rainy season.
• The flowers open in sequence from the base of the spike.
• Two flowers which are diagonally opposite in the spike, open
at the same time.
• It takes about two days for complete opening of the flower.

37. Plant protection
Nematode :
• Avoid planting Crossandra in nematode infested fields.
• To control nematodes, apply Phorate or Carbofuran 3 G at 1
kg a.i./ha

38. Wilt:
• Drench the soil around the plants with Methoxyethyl mercury
chloride (Emisan) at 2 g/lit or Carbendazim 0.5 ml/lit.
Crop duration:
• It extends up to 3 years including ratoon crop in the third year.

39. Picking/Harvesting:
• Picking of flowers has to be done on alternate days.
• Depending on the length of spike, it takes nearly 15-25 days
to complete flowering on a spike.
• The fully opened flowers remain fresh on the plant for about
three days but when picked they fade away in 36-48 hours.

40. Yield:
• Varieties: 2000 kg / ha/year
• Delhi Crossandra: 2800 kg/ha/year.
Marketing:
• For local market, loose flowers are packed in wet cloth or
gunny bags and sometimes in basket.

41. Postharvest
• Flowers are picked by pulling corolla out of the calyx at fully opened
stage
• They normally survive for 2 to 3 days
• Keeping quality can be increased by soaking them in 0.5 per cent Boric
acid, 0.001 per cent AgNO3 or 0.1 per cent Al2(SO4)3 for 3 hours
• Flowers are generally packed in cloth or polythene bags
• Packing in 200 gauge polythene bags without ventilation and storing in
cool chamber retains freshness and colour and increases their longevity