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Crossandra flowers are very popular for their bright colour, light-weight and keeping
quality. Deep orange coloured flowers are of great demand for garlands and hair
adornments.
Crop management
Cultivars
Yellow Orange, Lutea Yellow and Delhi (triploid) are the important varieties.
Soil
Crossandra could be cultivated in a wide range of soils. Fertile, red loamy soils
with pH range of 6 to 7.5 are ideal for its cultivation.
Propagation
Propagation is by seeds or stem cuttings. Seedlings are ready for transplanting
when they have four or five pairs of leaves. In the case of triploid varieties like
Delhi, cuttings are used. Cuttings should be transplanted when sufficient roots
are developed.
Cultural hints
The land has to be ploughed three or four times. FYM @ 25 t/ha is incorporated and
mixed well in the soil. Ridges are prepared 60 cm apart. A fertilizer dose of 33.3:
60: 60 kg/ha N:P2O5:K2O is applied as basal. The
seedlings or cuttings are transplanted at a spacing of 30 cm.
The crop is topdressed twice with 33.3 kg N per ha each time, the first at 3 months
after transplanting and the second 8-9 months after transplanting. The application
of fertilizers is to be necessarily followed by irrigation. Weeding, application
of fertilizer and earthing up are combined together for easy maintenance of the
crop.
Plant protection
Scales, plant bugs and white flies are the important insect pests, which can be
controlled by phosalone (0.07%).
Wilt caused by Fusarium solani will result in yellowing of leaves and death
of the plants. The incidence of the disease is found to be more in the presence
of root lesion nematode.
Harvest and yield
Crossandra flowers within two to three months after planting and continues to bear
flowers throughout the year with a lean production season during rainy months. Flowers
are to be picked early in the morning by pulling the corolla out of the calyx. Harvesting
of flowers is to be done on alternate days. The yield of flowers is about 5 t/ha.
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