Morphological characterisation and crop Management practices of cut foliage fern

Abstract

Ferns represent one of the most ancient and diverse groups of plants, valued for their ecological significance and ornamental beauty. These ferns have unique shapes, sizes, and textures, making them ideal for use in floral designs and urban landscaping. One of the major challenges in utilizing native ferns is the lack of detailed information about morphological traits and adaptability. Among different species of ferns, Rumohra adiantiformis G. Forst, commonly known as leather leaf fern, is the leading tropical foliage species with long, attractive fronds, and widely used in floral arrangements. Even though it is cultivated by farmers, the crop management practices are yet to be standardised. Hence, the current study was undertaken to evaluate different species of ferns for cut green and landscape uses and to standardize the crop management practices for leather leaf fern. In the first experiment, thirty fern genotypes were collected and evaluated for various quantitative and qualitative characters. Among quantitative characters, Nephrolepis exaltata cv. Fluffy ruffles exhibited the highest plant height (59.00 cm), Cristella dentata showed maximum spread (47.50 cm), Nephrolepis exaltata cv. Furcans showed maximum frond length (59.00 cm), Asplenium nidus exhibited maximum stipe girth (5.5 mm), frond production interval (155 days), and longevity of frond (255 days). The number of fronds per plant was found to be highest (45.5) with Nephrolepis cordifolia cv. Duffi, and the maximum (58.00) number of pinnae was observed in Nephrolepis exaltata cv. Tiger fern. Among qualitative traits, most of the genotypes exhibited the smooth texture except Adiantum hispidulum and Cristella dentata. Genotypes were also evaluated for other qualitative characters such as the shape of the frond, nature of the margin and tip of pinnae, markings on the foliage, and foliar colour. Most of the ferns evaluated were unbranched except for Adiantum sp. Based on the performance, the suitability of ferns for various landscape uses was identified. All the species evaluated were found to be suitable for the pot plant purpose. Species such as Nephrolepis cordifolia cv. Duffi and Anemia rotundifolia were found suitable for hanging baskets. Fern species such as Pteris parkerii and Doryopteris concolor were found suitable for indoor gardens due to their lush green foliage. A climbing fern, Lygodium flexuosum was suitable for trailing on walls and pergolas. Fern species such as Adiantum latifolium, Adiantum peruvianum, and Adiantum hispidulum were low-growing and had soft-textured fronds. These species were ideally suited for ground cover purposes. Nephrolepis exaltata cv. Fluffy ruffles, Nephrolepis exaltata cv. Furcans were found suitable for border plants in landscaping due to their tall growing nature. Species such as Rumohra adiantiformis G Forst., Davallia fijiensis, and Nephrolepis exaltata were well-suited as fillers in bouquets and flower arrangements due to attractive fronds and good postharvest life. The second experiment was conducted to standardize the spacing and nutrient doses for Rumohra adiantiformis G. Forst. The study was carried out by adopting three different spacing viz, 45 x 30 cm (S1), 45 x 45 cm (S2) and 60 x 45 cm (S3) and four fertilizer schedules viz., 80:40 N: K2O kg/ha/year (N1), 100:60 N: K2O kg/ha/year (N2), 120:80 N: K2O kg/ha/year (N3) and absolute control (N4). FYM @ 5t/ha and P2O5 @ 30 kg/ha and NPK 1:1:1 (19:19:19) at 0.4% (as foliar spray) were applied uniformly in all treatments except control. The results showed that spacing had significant influence on the vegetative characters and the spacing S1 (45 x 30 cm) was found superior in terms of plant height, frond length, stipe length, longevity of the frond, whereas the treatment S3 (60 x 45 cm) was outperformed in the parameters such as plant spread, number of fronds per plant, number of fronds per harvest, interval between two harvests throughout the experimental period. The nutrient dose N3 (120:80 N: K2O kg/ha/year) was found to have a significant impact on plant height, plant spread, number of fronds, frond length, stipe length, days taken for first harvest, number of fronds per harvest, and interval between two harvests. Regarding the interaction effect, the treatment combination of S1 x N3 (45x 30 cm spacing and nutrient dose of 120:80 N: K2O kg/ha/year) was found to be best for plant height, frond length, and stipe length. In case of plant spread and the number of fronds per plant, the treatment S3 x N3 (60 x 45 cm spacing and nutrient dose of 120:80 N: K2O kg/ha/year) was found to be best. Considering the parameters such as the length of the frond, stipe length, vase life, yield of fronds per hectare, cost of production, and net return, a combination spacing of 45 x 30 cm and the nutrient dose of 120:30:80 N: P2O5: K2O kg/ha/year along with FYM @ 5t/ha and NPK 1:1:1 (19:19:19) at 0.4% (as foliar spray) can be recommended for the cultivation of leather leaf fern. Findings of the study establish a clear baseline for selecting landscape-specific native fern genotypes and optimizing spacing and nutrient application for Rumohra adiantiformis G. Forst. to maximize yield and commercial viability.