Abstract

Haider Ammar, Danish Munir Gardish and Adnan Jamilu

The effect of different bulb removal date on the development of underground organs particularly bulblets of four lily hybrids was investigated. Three treatments were used included the bulbs were not removed (control) or removed 6 and 8 weeks after planting .The test hybrids were "Royal show" (LA hybrids), "White heaven" (L. longiflorum hybrid), "Sorbonne" and "Premium blond" (Oriental hybrids).The results indicated that the development of underground organs of plant was greatly influenced by bulb removal. However, both 6, 8 weeks treatments significantly increased the bulblet production compared to control treatment, but 8 weeks treatment recorded the highest production. The six weeks treatment had stronger induced effect on the emerged shoots from bulblets. The hybrid lilies differed significantly for all observed traits. However, the "Royal show" cultivar recorded the highest values of bulblets number and weight. The "White heaven" cultivar showed the best capability of the shoots emergence from the bulblets and from the daughters which grown inside the mother bulbs. Both "Sorbonne" and "Premium blond" cultivars had more growth of stem roots, less bulblets, no emerged shoots, compared to other cultivars. All these observations suggest that the technique of bulb removal have a potential use to stimulate the plant to produce more bulblets and the tested hybrids of lilies showed significant differences in their capability for bulblets formation and in their response to bulb removal.