Vol. 9, Special Issue 9, Part M (2025)

An experiment entitled “Performance of elite genotypes of Lisianthus (Eustoma grandiflorum Shinn.) under naturally ventilated polyhouse” was conducted during 2024-25 at the Department of Horticulture, College of Agriculture, Shivamogga. The study evaluated 12 Lisianthus genotypes in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications. Seedlings at the fourth true leaf stage were transplanted at 15 × 10 cm spacing and data on morphological, flowering, flower quality and yield traits were recorded from five randomly tagged plants per plot. Significant variation was observed among genotypes for all parameters. Morphologically, Rosita 3 Clear Pink (G₃) exhibited the maximum plant height (99.68 cm), number of leaves per plant (35.78), leaf area (2669.78 cm²/plant), number of branches (3.56) and internodal length (12.53 cm). Flowering traits revealed that Rosita 3 Clear Pink (G₃) had the earliest flower bud initiation (63.89 days), flower opening (74.89 days) and stalk harvesting (80.89 days), along with the maximum flowering duration (18.67 days). In terms of flower quality, Rosita 3 Clear Pink (G₃) recorded the highest number of buds per plant (10.89) and stalk length (70.93 cm), while Rosita 3 Blue Picotee Ver 2 (G₈) exhibited maximum stalk girth (1.65 mm) and flower diameter (6.81 cm). Rosita 3 Bright Blue (G₂) displayed the longest vase life (11.00 days). Yield assessment indicated that Rosita 3 Clear Pink (G₃) produced the maximum number of spikes per plant (2.00) and per m² (132.00), whereas Rosita 3 Blue Picotee Ver 2 (G₈) had the lowest spike yield (1.00 spikes/plant and 66.00 spikes/m²). Based on overall performance, Rosita 3 Clear Pink, Rosita 3 Bright Blue and Rosita 3 Lavender Ver 3 were identified as superior genotypes. These genotypes are recommended for commercial cut flower production under naturally ventilated polyhouse conditions. The study underscores the critical role of genotype selection in enhancing growth, flowering, flower quality, and yield traits in Lisianthus, thereby supporting consistent high-quality production in naturally ventilated polyhouse condition.