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GERBERA GERBERA
Commonly known as Transvaal Daisy, Barberton Daisy or
African Daisy, and produces very attractive flowers.
An important commercial flower grown throughout the
world in a wide range of climatic conditions.
Ideal for beds, borders, row and rock gardens.
Flowers are of various colours and suit very well in different
floral arrangements.
Cut blooms well placed in water last for a long time.
Plant
PlantDescription
Description
Plants of gerbera are stemless and tender perennial herbs.
Leaves are lanceolate, deeply lobed, some- times leathery,
narrower at the base and wider at top and are arranged in a rosette
at the base.
The foliage in some species have lighter under-surface.
Flower heads solitary, many flowered.
Gerbera is a member of compositae family. This is a
type of flower which grows throughout in world in
almost all the climatic conditions. Here, in our
country, flower production is taking good shape. This
flower has good aesthetic view, as well as vase life.
History
History&&Origin
Origin
The genus Gerbera was named in honour of a
German naturalist, Trangott Gerber who
traveled in Russia in 1743. This flower is native
to South African and Asiatic regions. They
mostly inhabit temperate and mountainous
regions.
The daisy like flowers are in wide range of
colours including yellow, orange, cream,
white, pink, brick- red, scarlet, salmon,
maroon, terracotta and various other
intermediate shades
The double cultivars sometimes have
bicoloured flowers which are very attractive.
The flower stalks are long, thin and leafless.
Based on flower heads, they may be grouped
into single, semi-double and double cultivars.
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Climate Climate Species and Cultivars

Gerberas are grown in the open in tropical and
subtropical climate. But in temperate climate
they are protected from frost and cultivated in
greenhouses. They like sunny situation in cool
weather but during the summer months they
should be lightly shaded if left out in beds. Poor
light during winter adversely affects the flower
production. A night temperature of 12°C. is found
to be optimum.
The important species and the cultivars of
gerbera that are of commercial Importance
are given here.
Species
The genus Gerbera consists of about forty
species of half-hardy and perennial flowering
plants. Out of all recorded species, only Gerbera
jamesonii is under cultivation

Cultivars Propagation
Gerberas can be propagated by both sexual and asexual methods.
Some of the gerbera cultivars of commercial importance throughout
the world are:  Seed propagation: is not always satisfactory, since impurity of
1. Flammgo (pale rose), 6. Nadja (yellow), strain produces a great deal of variation.
2. Delphi (white), 7. Dusty (red), •It requires longer time to produce flowering plants.
3. Vesta (red), 8. Valentine (pink),
4. Clranus (yellow), 9. Labalga (Lilac), •
5. Fredeking (yellow), 10.Fredaisy (pink),  Vegetative propagation: overcomes the problem of
unpredictable characters
• plants perform better than those from seeds
• flower quality is better in the clonal plants.
The most prolific flower producing cultivars are found to be pink
flower and white maria. The most vigorous cultivars are clivia and the
red clone  Micro-propagation: is found successful for rapid and large scale
multiplication.

A. Seed
 The advantages of seed over vegetative propagation include B. Vegetative
economy, simplicity and absence of pest and disease transmission.  Propagation of plants in ways other than through seed is known
 Pollination should be carried out on warm sunny days between as “vegetative propagation”
10 AM and 12 PM and each flower should be pollinated 2-3 times.

 Artificial pollination is necessary for obtaining sufficient seeds
and if these are sown immediately after harvesting, germination
results upto 90%.
 Seed normally retain their full viability for only 15 days after
harvesting. However, the seeds stored at (-) 5.0° to 5.0oC retained
high viability even after two and a half years of storage.
 the planting of a vegetative part of a plant, such as, leaf, stem or
root in such an environment that it develops into a new plant
 this includes the asexual reproduction by buding, grafting,
cuttings, layering etc
Among the vegetative means, multiplication through division of
clumps is the most common method used for Gerbera

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I. Division
This method involves division of large clumps into
smaller units
 It is practiced in June, when the plants may be set
out in the field.
Division of mother plants at the end of February
produce an average of 6 plants each and these start to
flowering at the end of May.
Before transplanting, the roots and leaves of the
suckers should be trimmed, keeping the central shoot
intact. Care should be taken that the soil does not
cover up the central growing point while setting the
suckers in a new bed.
C. Micro propagation
 Through Micro-propagation more number of plants can be
produced in short period , round the year
It involves rapid multiplication of explants by repeated sub-
culturing and preparation of divisions for transfer to soil
Shoot tips, inflorescence buds, flower heads, capitulum and
mid-ribs etc. can be employed as explants for micro-
propagation
Planting
The plants should be set with the crowns well above
the soil surface & should be dried off gradually in the beds or
removed to cold frames or field in june and replanted later.
Extending the usual growing season by 6-14 weeks,
substantially increases the yield.
The plants are set 30-37.5 cm apart.
The spacing in rows ranges from 20 to 40 cm giving from 9.4
to 4.7 plants/m2.
Close spacing is suitable only for an annual crop and a wider
spacing is better for a perennial crop.
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2. Cutting
Gerberas are also propagated through cuttings
 Suitable plants are kept without water for 3 weeks,
roots pruned, planted in peat at 25-30oC with 80% relative
humidity.
 The buds in the axils of the leaves are detached and
rooted in rooting medium & they become ready for
transplanting in 2 or 3 months.
 Approximately 40- 50 plants can be produced in 2-3
months from a single mother plant.
Young stem cuttings produce roots and shoots much easily
and quickly under intermittent mist.
Soil
A well drained, rich, light, slightly alkaline soil is
most suitable for gerbera production. The growth
of plants is adversely affected in poorly drained
soil.
Gerberas like an organic soil with high nitrate
content, will tolerate lime in the soil. Peat soils
are considered unsatisfactory for growth.
In soils with a pH range up to 7.2 gerbera
produces significantly more flowers and slightly
longer flower stems
Winter production could be increased 15-20% by closer
planting.
Growth of gerbera in rainfed beds improves by drainage and
aeration.
Gerbera are also suitable for pot culture. A pot compost
which is porous, rich in organic matter and with high moisture
retentive capacity suits the requirements of gerbera.
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Manures and Fertilizers

Exsess usse of B, Zn and Cu , induce toxic effects. And
Gerbera requires plenty of organic matter in the soil for Symptoms of deficiencies of N, P, K, and Ca, Mg, S have been
proper growth and flowering. found.

They also need nutrients, especially phosphorus and Excess of N (nitrogen) reduces yield and vase-life and Decline
potassium for flowering. in number of flowers per plant.

Application of NPK proved very effective in increasing the To prevent chlorosis, Mn (manganese) should be applied at a
number of leaves and in producing larger number of flower minimum foliar level of 40 ppm.
heads of bigger size.

Irrigation
Gerbera needs thorough irrigation instead of Gerberas are not specifically sensitive to chloride in the
light sprinkling at frequent intervals. irrigation water but are susceptible to high total salts contents
(conductivity) and cultivars vary in their response.
However, water logging should be avoided as it is
harmful to plants.

More flowers are produced in the summer than

in the winter.
Stem length is positively affected with the water
supply at flower initiation.

Diseases and Pests Fungal Diseases uprooted and burnt.

1.Root rot
A. Diseases Causal organisms is
Phytopthora parasitica
Diseases are major factor limiting gerbera production. Important
diseases and their control measures are mentioned here in detail.
Results in blackening of the base
including root and plant ultimately
Fungal diseases dies.
1.Root rot Control
2.Sclerotium Rot • Soil sterilization
3.Powdery Mildew • Proper drainage
Bacterial diseases • Avoiding over-watering
1.Bacterial blight • Avoid excessive mulching
• Affected plants should be

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2. Powdery mildew 3.Sclerotium rot

Caused by Erisyphe cichoracearum Caused by Sclerotium rolfsii.
and Oidium erysiphoides Serious fungal disease affecting the
entire above ground parts of the
White powdery coatings are noticed plants.
on the foliage.
Incidence may be as high during Aug
Control and Sept when the relative humidity is
high and the temperature ranges
•Spray with wettable sulphur, between 30 and 340 c
Karathane

•Recuced relative humidity especially

in spring and autumn.

• Removal of old Leaves

Bacterial Diseases Pests

1.Bacterial blight
Bacterial blight is a bacterial
disease.
Characterized by small to large, circular
to irregular, brownish black leaf spots
with or without concentric rings.
Large brown areas extending from the
margins and narrowing as they reach
the mid-veins of the leaf, often occurs.
Among different insect pests, whiteflies, aphids, leaf miners, spider mites,
caterpillars and root-knot nematodes are some of the common pests
attacking gerbera plants.
1. White fly
 is a sucking insect.
 This insect sucks the sap from the plant and makes
the plant dry.
Control
 Biological control with Encarsia fonosa
 Use of aerosols, smokes and parathion and
malathion sprays.
 Integrated control with yellow-orange plexiglass
sticky traps

.
2. Leaf miner
 Leaf miner which attack the gerbera plants is Liriomyza trifolii
 Adults of these small winged insects lay eggs on the leaf.
The larvae bore into the leaf and make irregularly shaped tunnels or
blotches
As these larvae mature they fold the leaf together with threads and feed
on the inner surface.

Control
Use yellow sticky trap
Spray dimethoate 30 EC or dichlorvos 76 EC @ 1 ml/l of water.
Spray cholorpyriphos 20 EC @ 2 ml/l. of water.
Spraying of need seed kernel extract 5% also check the incidence
effectivel

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.
3. Mites
Symptoms of damage:
 leaves and flower buds are adversely affected
 Flowers become malformed and unsaleable

Identification of the pest:

 Male mites are small and white to pale yellow in colour.
 Females are yellowish and bigger than the males.
 Active and fast moving yellowish mite.

Control
 Spraying the plants with 20% Malation @ 200 ml/100
1 and a further application can be made after 4 weeks.
 Spray malathion 50 EC @ 2 ml/l of water

4. Aphid Harvesting
 Aphis jabae is the insect that infect young leaves and buds
cause injury by sucking the sap which results in distortion of Flowers are generally cut when the outer two rows
tissue. of disc florets are perpendicular to the stalk.
The stage of harvest is critical as the flowers should not be
cut before the outer row of flowers show pollen.
Control
 For the control spraying or fumigation is recommended. Shortage of water as a result of vessel blocking or microbial
As sprays, 0.1% Dichlorvos; 0.1% methomyl, can be growth causes drooping or wilting of flowers.
suggested. Water is absorbed through the medullary cavities that are
visible at the cut-surface.
Fumigation with sulfotep smoke cartidges smoke candles
Therefore, it is beneficial to prick the stalk 10 cm below the
may also be used. flower head to allow the air to escape from the cavity. )

Storage and Packaging Vase-life

Gerberas are not suitable for long-term storage as the flowers lose
40% of their vase-life even after 7 day storage.
For short-term storage:
 Opt. temperature 1.70 centigrade.
 Flower heads are packed in insulated boxes to protect them
from cold or freezing temperature.
 Flowers heads are supported by the grid which is suspended
above a plastic tray
 Flower ends of the stalk are immersed in water to a depth of 15
cm in the tray
 Proper harvesting & post-harvest handling
 Use of floral preservatives to improve the quality of
flowers.
 Cut-flowers should be placed immediately after harvest
in fresh water or chrysal-VB solution to increases the vase-
life.
 Gerberas are the only cut- flowers that are not damaged
by chlorine added to the vase- water. At the correct-dosage
it will kill bacteria and prolong vase-life.