COMMERCIAL AND PROTECTED CULTIVATION

OF GERBERA

PREPARED BYSOHINI SARKAR (AG – 65) MONISHA MITRA (AG – 38)

SHAYREE CHATTERJEE(AG – 59)

GERBERAGERBERA (Gerbera jamesonii) is an herb. Gerbera is an exotic flower plant grown throughout the world known as African daisy. This flower originated from Africa and Asian countries and belongs to compositae family. Flowers stalks are long, thin and leafless. It flowers year round in warm, humid conditions. It can also be grown as field crop in open air on raised beds, as a greenhouse plant under controlled conditions (protected cultivation) and as potted plant.

THE USES OF GERBERA ARE MANY:- •It is grown as a garden plant for beautification or on flower beds, borders and in rock gardens. •Flower arrangements can be made in vase.• Use in flower bouquet is quite common. Gerberas are propagated by seeds, cuttings of clumps with buds, and from tissue cultured plants.

BOUQUET

FLOWER BED

WHY THE VENTURE IS IMPORTANT?•Gerbera cultivation can be very profitable for the farmers in the West Bengal especially for the farmers who have small land holdings. The freshness and long lasting characteristics of this flower made it to use as decorative flowers in parties, function and flower bouquets. Market commercial value of this flower is excellent in India. Flowers fetch price of Rs 40-50 per ten spikes during peak seasons. Gerbera is a profitable plant if it is done on a large scale considering good quality planting material, irrigation system, green house facilities and proper management of fertigation, pests and diseases. •The aesthetic value of flowers and ornamental plants, their use in social events, overall satisfaction in working with them and high income generating power are attracting modern entrepreneurs to invest money in the floriculture industry.

•The demand for flowers and ornamental plants for different needs like religious, official ceremonies, parties, house decoration, weddings, funerals, etc, is on the rise. This demand for fresh flowers and plants is increasing world-wide over the coming years. •There is a tremendous transformation in our floriculture sector mainly due to the entry of corporate who are producing cut-flowers to meet the emerging demand in the developed countries for floricultural products. The Government of India has also identified floriculture as a niche area with vast potential for export. There are many incentives given by the Government for setting up of floricultural units as Export oriented units (EOUs).

VARIETIES: •RED COLOURED: Ruby red , Dusty, Vesta, Red impulse•YELLOW COLORED : Supernova , Doni , Full moon , Panama•ORANGE COLOURED: Goliath , Orange classic , Kozak , Marasol•ROSE COLOURED : Rosalin , Salvadore•CREAM COLOURED: Winter queen , Snow flake•WHITE COLOURED: Delphi , White maria , •PURPLE COLOURED: Treasure , Black jack•PINK COLOURED: Pink elegance , Valentine

.

CLIMATIC REQUIREMENTS:.LAND can be grown both in tropical and

subtropical climatic conditions. Optimal day temperature of 20 -25 degree Celsius and night temperature of 12 – 15 degree Celsius ideal , as this flowers are sensitive to frost they are cultivated in green housesPREPARATION AND SOIL: Soil should be well drained, light , fertile and neutral in nature pH 5.5 – 6.5 should be maintained. Fine tilth by ploughing 3 times with tractor or country plough is ideal. Beds of 30 cm height 1 to 1.5 m with leaving a space of 35 – 50 cm between beds, FYM, sand and husk in 2:1:1 proportion should be added.

PROPAGATION: Division and micro-propagation are the two propagation methods used in gerbera cultivation. It is commercially propagated through suckers and tissue culture.SPACING: spacing of 25 – 30 cm within the row and 30 – 40 cm between the row should be maintained to accommodate 7 to 10 plants per square meter.

PLANTING SEASON: gerbera plantation can be done in spring as well as summer. Spring season is bet for 1.5 year tissue culture.

MANURES AND FERTILISERS:

Following is the manures and fertilizer schedule •Apply 8 to 9 kg FYM per square meter.•Apply NPK in 12:15:20 grams per square meter in first three months.•Apply NPK in 15:10:30 grams per square thereafter, applying in 2 split doses @ 2 weeks interval •Apply micronutrients like calcium, boron, copper @0.15 %.1000 plants require 700 L water and 400 gms fertilizers quantity. 700 ml

IRRIGATION: Immediate irrigation is required after planting and continue for a month. There after drip irrigation should be done once in two days @ 4L \ drip\plant for 15 mins. Average requirement of water is upto 700 mL per day per plant

LAND PREPARATION PLANTING

PESTICIDE APPLICATION

FERTILIZER APPLICATION

INSECT, DISEASES AND CONTROLINSECT•WHITE FLY : endosulfan @2mL\L•LEAF MINER : chlorpyriphos 1.5 mL/L•THRIPS : Rogor @2mL \ LDISEASES•ROOT ROT : captan•CROWN ROT : Topsin M•POWDERY MILDEW: wettable sulfur @ 1.5 gm

WHITE FLY LEAF MINER

THRIPS

ROOT ROT CROWN ROT

POWDERY MILDEW

HARVESTING: Harvesting is done when flowers completely open or when outer two to three rows of disc florets are perpendicular to the stalk. Gerbera produce flower 7 to 8 weeks after planting. Pluck the flower at the heel with angular cut. Plucking should be done at morning or evening.POST HARVESTING TASK:

The heel of the stalk has to be cut above 2-3cm above the base and keep in fresh chlorinated water. Flower with stalk lend 45-50cm and diameter 10-12cm fetch very good price for long distance corrugated boxes are used. Gerbera does not need cooling and have reasonably long shelf life.

YIELD: •Under open field/shade net cultivation:140-150 cut flowers/sq m/yr can be expected•Under green house cultivation 225-250 cut flowers/sq m/yr can be obtained

INFRASTRUCTURE REQUIREMENTS:•POLYHOUSE: Polyhouse is covered with thick transparent polyethylene. The low cost structures are made up of timber and bamboo. In controlled conditions fan and cooling system is available. Nets are provided at the opening to avoid the entry of insects.•IRRIGATION SYSTEM:

Drip system for fertigations consists of pumps, filters and liquid fertilizer mixing unit.

•TRACTOR :-A tractor is required .•SHADE NET: For protecting the cut flowers from scorching sunlight shade net is important.•SPRAYING MACHINE AND OTHER IMPLEMENTS: For spraying of plant protection chemicals

POLYHOUSE

•IRRIGATION SYSTEM:

TRACTOR

SHADE NET

SPRAYING MACHINE

BALANCE SHEET

ITEMS PRICE

LAND REVENUE Rs 800POLYHOUSE INSTALLATION

Rs 1,50,000

DRIP INSTALLATION Rs 40,000DEPRECIATION Rs 2500INTEREST ON FIXED CAPITAL

Rs 100

TOTAL Rs 193,400

FIXED COST

BALANCE SHEET ITEMS PRICELAND PREPARATION(ploughing) 2 mandays

Rs 400

BED PREPARATIONRequire FYM (2000 kg)

Rs 6000

PLANTING MATERIAL (2500 nos)

2500 ×10 = 25,000

LABOUR COST (2 mandays)For planting

Rs 400

Fertilisers Urea (4 kg)SSP (25 kg)MOP (2.5 kg)

RS 22Rs 200Rs 12.5

PLANT PROTECTION COST

Rs 4500

ELECTRICITY Rs 20 , 000

IRRIGATION Rs 2500LABOUR COST OF FERTILIZERS

Rs 200

ELECTRICITY Rs 20,000

IRRIGATION Rs 2500LABOUR COST OF FERTILIZERS

Rs 200

LABOUR COST FOR PLANT PROTECTION

Rs 200

LABOUR COST FOR HARVESTING

Rs 5000

TOTAL 59,934

GIVEN, no of planting materials = 2500No of flowers from each planting material = 50Cost of each flower = 3.5S0, gross return = 2500× 50 ×3.5 = 437,400TOTAL COST = FIXED COST + VARIABLE COSTRs 193400 + Rs 84034 = Rs 258234THEREFORE, NET PROFIT= GROSS RETURN – TOTAL COST = RS (437,400 – 258234) = 179,166

TOTAL COST

PROFIT IN FIRST YEAR

PROFIT IN SECOND YEAR

PROFIT IN THIRD YEAR

PROFIT IN FOURTH YEAR

2,58234

179,166

2,07,000

2,58,000

2,95,000

BENEFIT COST RATIOA benefit cost ratio is an indicator that summarizes the overall value for money of a project or venture. BC RATIO = GROSS RETURN ÷ TOTAL COST = 437,400 ÷ 258234 = 1.69

BREAK EVEN POINTA breakeven point is the point at which cost or expenses and revenue are equal . i.e. the profit will be equivalent to the total cost.

CONCLUSIONThe BC ratio of our commercial venture is 1.69. So , we can conclude that the gerbera venture is economical and it is also viable , since the BC ratio is greater than 1. The break even point is achieved within 4 years of commercial cultivation . So we can conclude that the costs are recovered within 4 years. Therefore , we can say that on a long run gerbera production is profitable as well as efficient.

SL NO PROBLEM AREA

PROBLEMS SUGGESTION

1 Owner Diversification of laboursMarket price fluctuation.

Provide best facilties Fixed marketing

2 Technical Expiry date of chemicals and fertilizers.

Inventory managementForecasting

PROBLEMS AND SUGGESTIONS regarding the commercial production of gerbera

THANK YOU