Evaluation of exotic gladiolus under sub-tropical mid-hills of Meghalaya

Abstract

An investigation was carried out during 2003–04 at experimental farm of the ICAR Research Complex for NEH Region, Umiam (Meghalaya) to study the performance of 16 exotic cultivars of gladiolus for cut flower and cormel production. The vegetative, flowering, corm and cormel characters studied showed significant differences among the cultivars. Cultivar ‘Gold Beauty’ gave maximum plant height (105.03 cm), leaf length (57.30 cm), early in spike emergence heading (58.16 days), first floret showing colour (65.83 days) and full opening of first floret (68.33 days), while cultivar ‘Friendship Pink’ gave longest spike (70.00 cm) and rachis (50.05 cm), maximum florets/spike (15.00) and long field durability (13.00 days). Significantly maximum corm diameter (5.76 cm), corm weight (55.11 g), polar (2.71 cm) and equatorial diameter (2.29 cm) and weight of 5 corms (300.00 g) were given by ‘Green Bay’. However cultivar ‘Creamy White’ gave largest flower (11.00 cm), maximum cormels (50.22) and cormel weight (4.05 g)/plant, whereas ‘Australian Fair’ recorded highest propagation co-efficient (251.66%)