India’s flower production grows; NHB pushes for nursery standards

New Delhi: Flower production in India has been increasing with a rapid speed due to improved technologies and support from the National Horticulture Board (NHB) as well as the government and private agencies. Several infrastructures that have been developed in recent time, such as playhouses and green house farming, are a fast-emerging area, and new technologies are being applied that are suitable for Indian conditions.

Infrastructure plays a key role in the development of a nursery for taking flower production to the next level. However, the main concern is the lack of quality seedlings in flower nurseries. Therefore, nurserymen have to face several kinds of crises to meet the standards of green house and open field flower nurseries. At the end, nurserymen have to compromise on quality, posing several challenges for growers.

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To address this, the NHB has taken some steps to improve the situation and is ready to set up Model Cut Flower Plant Nurseries. The Indian Council of Agricultural Research has also released a “Handbook of Seed and Planting Material Testing Manual for Horticultural Crops,” outlining technical specifications for horticulture planting materials.

These efforts are likely to improve the infrastructure, production systems, and quality parameters for flower nurseries, promote good nursery management practices, and ensure a robust, recognized nursery regime for the country’s growing flower industry.