Abstract
The flower initiation stage is one of the most critical stages in plant development. This study was conducted with an aim of
identifying the precise flower bud initiation stage in oriental lily hybrids, ‘Sorbonne’ and ‘Siberia’, for the purpose of proper
plant management during the flower development stage. The bulbs were micro-dissected 0, 10, 20, 30, and 40 days after
planting. Five bulbs were randomly selected for dissection and flower bud initiation stage identification. Bulb circumference,
shoot length, number of bulb scales, number of leafy scales, number of true/alternate leaves, and flower bud initiation stage
were measured. The flower bud initiation stages were scaled as follows: 0 = no flower buds, 1 = starting stage, 2 = flower bud
developing stage, and 3 = fully developed flower bud stage. In both the hybrids, flower bud initiation started 20 days after
planting and was observed to be associated with shoot length; the initiation occurring in shoots 11–13cm long. It was also
greatly affected by the cultural management during the growing of plants. Identification of the exact time of flower bud
initiation will be useful in proper management of the plant materials with respect to their requirements of water, nutrient,
environmental conditions, and pest control. This knowledge will help in developing quality flowers of the two studied oriental
lily hybrids for breeding and commercial purposes.
