VARIABILITY ASSOCIATION AND QUALITY STUDY IN NATIVE Dendrobium ORCHIDS

Abstract

An investigation was carried out at the Orchidarium of Landscape, Ornamental and Floriculture Division of Horticulture Research Centre (HRC), Bangladesh Agricultural Research lnstitute (BARl), Joydebpur, Gazipur during January 2005 to June 2006. Twenty germplasms were used for characterization and evaluation in respect of different qualitative and quantitative characters to select promising line (s) as well as studies on the genetical parameters for further improvement of the crop. Durability of all the twenty gemplasm and vase life of /)e11dmhi1111J densiflorunt was studied with the different levels of pl I and sucrose The results indicated the existence or wide diversity among the genotypes on their physio­ morphological characters along with quality related characters. The genetic parameters, correlation and path coefficient analysis revealed thal spike length, rachis length, flower number, flower sii'c and flower durability were the 1110~1 important traits to he selected for the development of native I k11droln11111 orchids Among the di lfcrcnt genotypes !>e11druh111111 fon1111.,11111 ( l) i) and I k11dmh111111 di:m{/lorn111 {I) VII 1 i) were the promising gcrmplasrn considering the qualitative and quantitative characters ,\mo11g the recorded characters high heritability and high genetic advance 111 spike length (9-1 U0° o a11J 98 29), rachis length (95 34° o and 93 85 ), were recorded flower durability (()4 00° o and 89 00) and floret number (7'2 55°0 and 6...J 80 respectively) were recorded Number or flower per plant, durability or flower and rachis length showed significant positive correlation with spike length During the post ha I'\ est period p11 3 O and 3° o suet osc solution showed I he best performance on long vase life or I tcndrohuun de11.,·{/lom111.