Soil properties of orchid growing areas of Shimla Hills and their utility for conservation of some endangered orchids

Abstract

The different physico-chemical parameters of twelve terrestrial orchid species were analyzed in the soils collected from Shimla hills (H.P.) during the present investigation. Physico-chemical properties of soils varied with the species. During further propagation and conservation of five selected medicinally important orchid species, in vitro asymbiotic seed germination was assessed on different standard nutrient media and species specific modified nutrient media (devised during present investigation) supplemented with different growth additives. Nutritional requirement during in vitro asymbiotic seed germination not only varied with the species but also varied during different morphogenetic stages leading to seedling formation. The effect of plant growth regulators varied with the nature of the growth regulator, the stage of development of the seeds at the time of procurement and the species used. Additional presence of organic growth supplements in the medium favoured differentiation of protocorms and seedling development. newline