A.K. Acharya Msc , D. R Baral PhD , D. M. Gautam PhD and U. K. Pun PhD

DOI

ABSTRACT

A field survey was carried out to find out production and postharvest handling practices of gerbera adopted by the growers of Kathmandu, Bhaktapur, Lalitpur and Kavre districts during September to December, 2009. About 68 varieties of gerbera were found to be grown by the entrepreneurs. It was noticed that the production and handling practices differ with the growers and localities. Better quality gerbera flowers were produced with the abundant use of compost and organic matter rather than chemical fertilizer. It was necessary to raise the bed height above 2 feet in low lands whereas about 1 foot was enough in the uplands. Besides, timely adequate sanitation measures were needed for better quality and quantity production of the flower. Red and pink flowers were highly preferred in the market, while the purple color had the lowest preference. Total production of gerbera in Kathmandu valley was found to be 6,21,200 sticks per year. Out of total production, summer, autumn, spring and winter shared 32.03%, 29.38%, 24.50% and 14.09% respectively. Price of the cut flower highly varied with respect to the seasons. During winter, price of the flower was the highest. The postharvest loss was found higher (3.3%) in winter than in summer (2.9%). The major causes of postharvest losses were due to inappropriate handling of the cut flower and varietal characteristics of gerbera.