MSc

Heliconia cultivation is rapidly expanding in tropical areas throughout the world. Heliconia is one of the most important cut flower and landscape plants due to their variation in growth habit and flower characters combined with easy cultivation practices. India has great potential for expanding the cultivation of heliconia considering the rich and diverse germplasm of the crop available with us. The objective of the present study was to assess the extent of variability among the 30 selected species and cultivars. The study also was aimed at the evaluation of morphological and floral variability that exist in heliconia which will serve as a tool for identifying the varieties for further breeding programmes and to exploit the ornamental attributes of Heliconia for the expanding tropical cut flower industry in Kerala
There was wide variation in morphological characters such as plant height, plant spread, number of leaves, leaf area and number of shoots and in flowering characters such as length of spike, length of petiole, length of inflorescence, number of flower bracts, number of flowers per bract, size of bract, days taken for flowering and flowering duration. Variation was also observed in pollen size and pollen fertility.
Cultivar Heliconia chartacea cv. Sexy Pink registered the highest plant height and also the highest value for plant spread, leaf area, and length of inflorescence, days taken for flowering and flowering duration. However it recorded lower value for number of flowering shoots.
Psittacorum species and interspecific hybrids recorded lower value for plant height, plant spread, leaf area, length of inflorescence, flowering duration and less number of days taken for first flowering but highest value for number of flowering shoots compared to heliconias which are having robust growth habit such as cultivar Pedro Ortiz, Jacquinii, wagneriana and stricta species.
Interspecific hybrids recorded lower fertility percentage and other species and cultivars recorded higher fertility. Pollen shape varied within same species in different cultivars.



PCV was slightly higher than GCV in all characters which were studied. High heritability was recorded in all characters. The character plant height was found to have significant positive correlation at genotypic and phenotypic level with plant spread, leaf area, length of inflorescence, length of spike, days taken for first flowering, flowering duration, number of flower bracts, size of bracts and pollen size.
In the present study selection index for 30 species and cultivars was computed on 14 characters viz. plant height, plant spread, Number of shoots, length of inflorescence, length of spike, length of petiole, days taken for first flowering, flowering duration, number of flower bracts, number of flowers per bract, size of bract, number of flowering shoots, pollen size and pollen fertility. The maximum values of selection index were recorded for Heliconia chartacea cv. Sexy Pink, Heliconia wagneriana cv. Yellow, Heliconia collinsiana x Heliconia bourgaeana cv. Pedro Ortiz, Heliconia wagneriana. cv. Red, Heliconia stricta cv. Iris and so on. Lowest value of selection index was recorded for Heliconia densiflora Verlot cv. Fire Flash and Heliconia angusta cv. Christmas Red. Genetic gain was worked out and it revealed that if parents are selected based on selection index values for improvement 45% genetic gain can be expected in the next generation.
Much natural variation exists in heliconia. To be commercially viable varieties with potential for high yield, easiness of cultivation, less incidence of pest and disease, high vase life and above all high market demand are preferred by growers. Selection of varieties based on suitable selection index and their further improvement will serve to strengthen heliconia cultivation. Future research programmes aiming at heliconia improvement in this direction using conventional and non-conventional breeding tools will help to achieve this goal and aid in the popularization of these exotic tropical flowers as cut flower and landscaping plants.