Technology to give floriculture a flip
HERALD CORRESPONDENT
CANACONA, JULY 7
If the method of tissue-culture taken up by Goa University is successfully utilized, people have every reason to take up plantation of commercially lucrative flowers in Canacona taluka.
One such flower, orchids, botanically known as ‘Aerioles Maculose’ or Sitechi-Veni in vernacular language, grow seasonally in large numbers, mostly in forest areas, including on different types of tree trunks.
According to sources, there are 1,141 species of orchids in India, while Goa is home to 26 of such species, most of which are easily noticed in State’s different surrounding areas.
Sources also informed that some of these wild flowers grow naturally, can withstand over a fortnight, while the artificially cultivated orchids mostly imported from outside the State and are commonly used in bouquets and flower decorations easily passes off in 3-4 days.
“Many of these orchid species are found in Canacona forests,” informed Subhash Mahale, a teacher by profession, but keeps close touch of nature’s products.
As part of bio-diversity conservation celebrations, Goa University’s Botany department with Prof Dr S Krishna recently conducted a workshop, where the technology to introduce tissue-culture to produce orchids in all seasons meant for commercial value was reportedly presented to the participants.
According to sources, previously no technology was developed in the State to grow orchids in large scale, but now with Goa University stepping in, the technology is reportedly available to use tissue-culture for the growth of orchids in all seasons for commercial value.
It is learnt that maximum species of orchids are grown in north eastern states of Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim, where even orchid festivals takes place during monsoon.
