NDMC Tulip Mission – Tulip Growth cum storage Cold Chamber installed at Lodhi Garden.
DNA News Desk
New Delhi :- Lt. Governor, Shri VK Saxena during his various visits to Tulip plantations in NDMC area during last winters had been stressing upon exploring ways and means to ensure indigenous seeding and production of Tulip saplings with an aim of not only reducing import costs and augmenting their availability, but also giving a boost to the local Floriculture Industry. Based on the vision ofHon’ble LG, the NDMC establisheda one of its kind unit in India, Tulip Growth Cum Storage Chamber, in April’2023. After brainstorming by officers from LG Secretariat with CSIR,DDA, officers from NDMC and MCD, it was decided to initiate researchand trials for Tulip bulbs multiplication, production in India itself with the objective to promote indigenous bulb use and less dependence on imported bulbs being imported every year, it was decided to initiate research and trial for Tulip bulbs multiplication, production in India itself with the objective to promote indigenous bulbs use thereafter reducing dependence on imported bulbs being imported every year.
It was decided to fabricate proper structure for preservation and propagation of harvested bulbs including Tulip on trial basis for future use in NDMC area, as the conditions/temperature are not suitable for multiplication/production of Tulips in Delhi region.Accordingly,NDMC took initiative to immediately establish a unit at Lodhi Garden. Meanwhile, NDMC has also entered an agreement with CSIR-IHBT, Palampur for transfer of 52,000 Nos. Tulip bulbs, which were harvested from NDMC area for further multiplication and return back to NDMC for growing in NDMC area, New Delhi as per approved Terms and Condition.
The newly fabricated Tulip Cold Chamber consists of:-
Cold Storage Chamber of 12’x20’x9’ with the capacity to store around 50,000 fresh tulip bulb in controlled temperature varying between 2-20 degree Celsius.
Ø Tulip propagation chamber is of 15’x28’x9’ with facility to grow around 2,000 bulbs can be enhanced upto 4,000 bulbs with temperature controlled environment 10-22 degree Celsius.
Programme Under taken this year:-ØAround 2,000 bulbs of 8-10 cm size were harvested from NDMC area after Tulip blooming in Feb-Mar’2023 were stored in storage chamber at temperature varying from 15 -20 degree Celsius for 3 months till July2023. Ø Thereafter, they were then kept under low temperature of 5-6 degree Celsius for 10 weeks till first week of October.
Ø Around first week of October these bulbs have been put in production chain by sowing them in growth chamber at temperature 17-20 degree Celsius with the aim to increase the size of bulbs to at least 10 + cm.The innovation & Experiment to produce Tulip bulbs in Delhi have shown encouraging results with early foliage growth and bulbs have started Tulip flower production from 1st Nov 2023. NDMC has been able to achieve good Tulip flowering. Since the trial is to get bulbs of proper size, flowers will need to be pruned. The results are positive and encouraging. NDMC has been able to achieve good flowering from last year imported bulbs. This is a step towards achieving the goals of production in India, which has been achieved under supervision of Hon’ble LG and his constant guidance and support to NDMC.
