Performance evaluation of double type tuberose IIHR-4 (IC-0633777) for flower yield, quality and biotic stress response.

An experiment was carried out to evaluate an advance breeding line of tuberose double type IIHR-4 along with check for flowering, yield and resistance to root knot nematode and Alternaria polianthi leaf blight disease. The hybrid selection IIHR-4 was developed through hybridization by crossing Mexican Single x Pearl Double, followed by selection. Double type tuberose IIHR- 4 was found to be novel with better flowering and quality traits such as relatively shorter spike (62.00 cm) and rachis length (25.59cm) and favourable diameter of floret (4.47cm) and number of florets per spike (50.75), more number of florets (7.10) open at a time on the spike and shorter internodal length between the florets (3.45cm). The florets are with shorter length (5.22cm) arranged very compactly on the spike making IIHR-4 ideal as cut flower. Added to this, the advanced breeding line IIHR-4 was found to be highly resistant to root knot nematode Meloidogyne incognita under field conditions and tolerant to Alternaria polianthi leaf blight disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]