Effect of reduced irradiance on growth and flowering of Lilium

An experiment was conducted under Solan conditions to evaluate the effect of reduced irradiance (0, 35, 50, 65 and 75 per cent shading) on growth, flowering and longevity of Lilium. With an increase in shading, there was a corresponding increase in height of the plants. Shading also increased the number of leaves, number of flower buds, bulb size and longevity of floral stalks. It is concluded that good quality cut flowers of Lilium can be produced in the hill zone of Himachal Pradesh if plants are shaded with 56–75% shade factor.