Author(s): Thandar Win, Aung Min Latt and Khin Su Hlaing

Abstract: Lilies (Lilium spp.) are globally important bulbous ornamentals valued for their premium cut flowers, yet their productivity and spike quality are highly sensitive to suboptimal soil and microclimatic conditions, particularly salinity in coastal landscapes ^[1-4]. In recent years, intensive research on salt stress in lilies and other ornamentals has revealed substantial genotypic variation in tolerance and identified key physiological and molecular mechanisms underpinning stress adaptation ^[1-7]. Optimization of cultivar choice and planting geometry is therefore central to maximizing marketable yield, stem length, bud number and bulb production in commercial lily enterprises. Indian studies under polyhouse and shade-net conditions across Telangana, Prayagraj, Meghalaya, Kashmir and the Terai region of West Bengal have demonstrated strong cultivar × environment interactions for growth, flowering and bulb traits, underscoring the need for location-specific recommendations ^[8-12]. In the coastal Sundarbans delta of West Bengal, a recent uniformity trial showed that lilies can be successfully established despite cyclonic weather, high humidity and saline soils, but this research did not explicitly compare alternative plantation designs or quantify cultivar-specific yield and quality responses ^[13]. At the same time, agriculture in the Indian Sundarbans is increasingly constrained by soil salinity, storm surges, sea-level rise and changing rainfall regimes, leading to frequent crop failures, income instability and livelihood vulnerability ^[14-16]. Emerging work highlights conservation agriculture and diversified cropping (e.g. zero-tillage potato, fruit-based systems) as promising options to intensify land use and enhance resilience under these fragile coastal conditions ^{[17, 18]}, yet high-value floriculture has received little attention in regional adaptation strategies. Livestock-based farming systems and natural-resource-based livelihoods remain precarious, with salinisation and climate-driven shocks eroding household security ^{[15, 19-21]}. Against this backdrop, this research evaluates the yield and quality performance of selected lily cultivars under contrasting structured plantation designs in the Coastal Sundarbans Zone. A field experiment was laid out using a factorial randomized block design comparing multiple cultivars with rectangular, staggered and triangular planting geometries at uniform plant population. Spike yield per unit area, spike length, bud number, vase life proxies and bulb traits were recorded and analysed using appropriate analysis of variance and mean comparison procedures. It is anticipated that structured plantation designs which improve canopy architecture and light interception will enhance spike yield and quality, particularly for cultivars with vigorous vegetative growth, while also providing a basis for integrating lilies into coastal cropping systems as a climate-resilient, high-value enterprise. The findings are expected to generate location-specific recommendations for cultivar selection and plantation geometry in the Coastal Sundarbans, thereby contributing to diversification of farm income, better utilisation of limited high-ground land and improved adaptive capacity of smallholders under progressive salinity and climate stress.

DOI: 10.22271/27889289.2025.v5.i2d.222

Pages: 302-308 | Views: 93 | Downloads: 41

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