Assessment of Gladiolus Varieties Based on Growth, Flowering and Corm Characters

Abstract

Gladiolus (Gladiolus grandiflora) renowned for its vibrant spike and commercial value, is widely cultivated for the cut flower industry. This study evaluated the growth, flowering and corm parameters of 27 gladiolus varieties under field conditions at Horticultural Research Farm, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi during November 2023. The experiment followed a Randomized Block Design with five replications. The findings revealed significant varietal differences in growth attributes, with Pusa Manmohak recorded the maximum number of leaves per hill, while American Beauty exhibited the broadest leaf. Arka Darshan had the maximum scape width, whereas, Pusa Shubham showed the least. Flowering traits displayed notable differences; Pusa Kiran exhibited the earliest 3rd floret opening, while Arka Darshan had the most delayed. Variety Flevo Souvenir recorded the largest 3rd floret diameter, whereas, Arka Aarti had the smallest. Snow Princess had the highest number of open florets and Shubhangini demonstrated the longest internodal length. Corm characteristics varied considerably, with Shubhangini producing the highest number of cormels per hill and Pusa Sunayana attaining the maximum corm weight per hill. These results highlight the phenotypic variability among gladiolus cultivars, providing valuable insights for breeders and commercial growers to select superior varieties for cut flower production.