Effect of media on hardening of in vitro multiplied plantlets of gloxinia and saintpaulia under low cost polytunnels

The studies were carried out in the year 2002 with an objective to standardize the hardening medium for gloxinia (Sinningia speciosa) and saintpaulia(Saintpaulia ionantha). The experiment was laid out in a CRD design with four media viz cocopeat, cocopeat + perlite (3: 1), soil + sand (1: 1) and perlite replicated eight times. The plantlets were planted in protrays and were kept under a portable tunnel (3 x 1.5 x 1.65 m) which was placed on a water tank and covered initially with a hashien cloth and then with a polysheet to maintain humid conditions. The protrays containing plantlets were placed on the wire mesh inside the chamber. After 10 weeks of hardening, observations were recorded and cocopeat + perlite (3:1) was found to be the best hardening medium which gave a survival percentage of 79.02 and 89.77 in gloxinia and saintpaulia, respectively. Complete programme for hardening of in vitro multiplied plants has been discussed.