Tul Bahadur Poon , T. M. Rao and D.P. Kumar

DOI

ABSTRACT

An experiment was conducted at Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Bangalore, India to evaluate vegetative and floral traits of 21 genotypes. Sprouting per cent of corms was the highest in two genotypes ‘Shobha’ and ‘H. S. 82-11-27’ (100 %) whereas low in ‘H.S. 84-7-11’ (68.5 %), ‘Gladiolus callianthus’ (70.6 %), and ‘Arka Kesar’ (76.5%). Day to sprouting was early in ‘H. S. 86-32-11’ (11.2 days), ‘Shobha’ (12 days) and ‘H. S. 87-22-1’ (12.2 days) but ‘Gladiolus callianthus’ recorded the maximum days to sprouting (30.0 days). Day to flowering was early in ‘H.S. 88-10-22’ (64.6), ‘Shobha’ (65.8 days) and ‘H.S. 84-7-11’ (66.1 days) while late in ‘H.S. 84-4-9’ (92.6) ‘Tilak’ (91 days) and ‘Gladiolus callianthus’ (87.1 days). The genotype ‘Gladiolus callianthus’ recorded the shortest plant (94.8cm) followed by ‘Hybrid selection 84-4-9’ (102.6cm) and ‘Kum Kum’ (106.7cm) whereas the tallest plant in ‘Poonam’ (149.1cm), ‘Shobha’ (146.9cm) and ‘Pink Friendship’ (142.1cm. The genotype ‘Arka Kesar’ recorded the highest number of florets per spike (18.1) but ‘Gladiolus callianthus’ was with the least florets per spike (9.8). Numbers of marketable spikes per corm were high in ‘Psittacinus hybrid’ (2.0) ‘H.S. 87-22- 1’ (1.9) and ‘H.S. 88-4-8’ (1.9), ‘H.S. 82-11-27’ (1.9) and ’Kum Kum’ (1.7). ‘H.S. 87-22-1’ had long vase life (8.8 days) followed by ‘H.S. 82-11-27’ (8.4 days) while ‘H. S. 88-4-8’ had the shortest vase life (6.2 days). In respect of most traits, 'H.S.87-22-7' is proven as the most promising genotype as comparing against the rest of twenty genotypes. In addition, Gladiolus callianthus and Psittacinus hybrid are two different species that can be utilized in interspecific hybridization.