Performance of Costus speciosus (Koenig) Sm. genotypes under Bastar plateau agro-climatic zone of Chhattisgarh

An experiment was conducted at Jagdalpur, Bastar, Chhattisgarh during Kharif season of 2011 to evaluate the growth and yield performance of different entries of Costus speciosus (Koenig) Sm. commonly called as Kewkand. The experiment was laid out in RBD with three replications and twelve treatments comprising of twelve genotypes. Maximum plant height, number of leaves per plant, inter-nodal length and number of flowering plants per hill was observed in entry IC-542329. The results indicated that maximum number of tillers per hill was observed in entries IC-542327, IC-542328, IC-542330 and IGKK-1. Higher values for leaf length (29.63 cm), leaf width (10.30 cm) and flower length (18.10 cm) were recorded in entry IC-542330. Entry IC-542327 was observed to have maximum flower diameter, number and girth of rhizomes as well as highest total rhizome yield. However, entry IGKK-1 had at par values with entry IC-542327 for length of side rhizomes, number of rhizomes and total rhizome yield. No significant difference among the genotypes was observed for weight of 100 seed weight which ranged from 1.69–1.71g.