Effect of different horticultural techniques on quality flower production of Gladiolus grandiflorus cv. PDKV gold

Abstract

The investigation entitled “Effect of different horticultural techniques on quality flower production of Gladiolus grandiflorus cv. PDKV Gold” was carried out during kharif season of the year 2017-18 and 2018-19 at Floriculture unit, Department of Horticulture, Dr. PDKV., Akola. Vegetative and flowering parameter of gladiolus as affected by different horticultural techniques such as corm sizes viz. jumbo size corm (> 5.1 cm), large sized corm (3.8 to 5.0 cm), medium (3.2 to 3.7 cm) small size corm (3.1 to 2.5 cm) mechanical removal of apical bud (3.8 to 3.2 cm), half corm division (3.2 to 3.7 cm), soaking of corms in 200 ppm GA3 solution for 24 hr (3.2 - 3.7 cm) and clipping of leaves (3.2 to 3.7 cm) were evaluated under natural agro-climatic conditions of Akola. The experiment was laid out in accordance with Complete Randomized Design with eight treatments replicated three times. Regarding growth parameters it was observed that days required for sprouting of corm, number of shoots per corm, plant height, number of leaves per plant, (at 30, 60, 90 and 120 DAP) length and breadth of leaves, jumbo size corm perform the best as compared to medium, small corms and other treatments with maximum values (3.93 days), (2.03), (49.10, 91.63, 111.27 and 113.10 cm), (3.33, 6.13, 8.87 and 9.33 cm), (85.55 and 2.82 cm). Similar results were observed with flowering parameters. In flowering parameter such as minimum days for spike emergence, days to 1st floret opening, days to 50% flowering (77.78, 82.08, 87.13 days respectively) and maximum number of spikes plant-1 (1.67) and ha-1 (1.48 lakh) was recorded in jumbo size corm than large and small size corm. In case of quality parameter maximum length of spike (103.47 cm), diameter of spike (1.44 cm), length of rachis (55.80 cm), number of florets spike-1 (17.88), diameter of open floret (9.32 cm) and vase life of spike (10.95 days) was observed by plants raised from jumbo sized corm.