• SWARNAPRIYA PRADHAN
• C. R. MOHANTY

An investigation was carried out to study the relative performance of two indoor foliage plants, Aglaonema cv. Silver Queen and Dieffenbachia cv. Tropic Snow grown in various media compositions in form of a pot culture trial in the Department of Horticulture, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan (Deemed to be University), Bhubaneswar in an agro shade net house with 70 per cent shade during the period between October 2018 to April 2019. The trial was conducted in form of a Factorial Experiment following Completely Randomized Design with three replications and consisted of two factors viz., potting media and in door foliage plants as treatments. In the present investigation five media compositions viz., M1(2 parts of garden soil+ 1 part of FYM), M2 (2 parts of garden soil + 1 part of coarse sand +1 part of FYM), M3 (2 parts of garden soil +1 part of coco peat ), M4 (2 parts of garden soil +1 part of coarse sand +1 part of coco peat) and M5 consisting of 2 parts of FYM + 1 part of coco peat were used in which the ingredients were mixed on volume basis. The performances of the two indoor foliage plant species viz., (S1) Aglaonema and (S2) Dieffenbachia were evaluated in the above mentioned potting media for various growth and quality parameters. The results of the study revealed that among various combination of M x S1, performance of Aglaonema grown in media M5 composed of 2 parts of FYM + 1 part of coco peat was most satisfactory with respect to almost all parameters. Parameters like plant height and number of leaves per plant recorded the highest value under M5S1, yet it remained at par with M2S1 or M4S1 combinations. Although leaf length and width were highest under M5S1, no significant variation was noticed among various MxS1 combinations with respect to these two growth parameters. On the other hand growth parameter like number of new leaves emerged per plant per month and scoring for quality parameter like visual plant grade were significantly higher under this treatment combination. Performance of Aglaonema (S1) under M4 ie.2 parts of garden soil +1 part of coarse sand + 1 part of coco peat (M4S1) was next to M5S1 which recorded higher values for leaf width and number of new leaves emerged while parameters like plant height, number of leaves per plant, leaf length and visual plant grade were improved under M2S1 ( ie. Aglaonema grown in 2parts of garden soil +1 part of coarse sand + 1 part of FYM ) combination next to M5S1. Performance of M3S1 combination ie. Aglaonema grown in 2 parts of garden soil + 1 part of coco peat was found unsatisfactory which recorded the lowest plant height as well as significantly lower values for number of new leaves emerged and visual plant grade where as the performance of M1S1 combination ie. Aglaonema grown in 2 parts of garden soil +1 part of FYM had poor performance with respect to number of leaves per plant, leaf length and leaf width. Various combinations of MxS2 ie. Dieffenbachia grown in different media compositions followed more or less similar trend as observed in MxS1 combination. Plants of Dieffenbachia grown in media M5 (2 parts of FYM + 1 part of coco peat) recorded highest values for plant height,, number of leaves per plant, number of leaves emerged per plant and visual scoring for plant grade but followed by and at par with either M4S2 or M2S2 combination. Performance of M4S2 combination ie. Dieffenbachia grown in 2 parts of garden soil + 1 part of coarse sand + 1 part of coco peat was also better which recorded greater plant height, leaf length and number of new leaves emerged per plat next to M5S2 combination. Other parameters like number of leaves, and visual plant grade were also improved under M2S2 next to M5S2 combination. Significantly lower plant height was observed under M3S2 combination. Besides, lower values were recorded for other parameters like number of leaves per plant, leaf width and number of new leaves emerged per plant per month under M3S2 and M1S2 combinations which were statistically comparable to each other.

In door foliage plants, Aglaonema, Dieffenbachia, plant height, number of leaves, leaf length , leaf width, number of new leaves emerged, visual plant grade.

"Relative performance of indoor foliage plants Aglaonema and Dieffenbachia grown in different media compositions", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.7, Issue 4, page no.1796-1806, April-2020, Available :http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2004445.pdf

"Relative performance of indoor foliage plants Aglaonema and Dieffenbachia grown in different media compositions", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org | UGC and issn Approved), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.7, Issue 4, page no. pp1796-1806, April-2020, Available at : http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2004445.pdf