Varietal evaluation and genetic variability studies on gladiolus

Abstract

An experiment was conducted with 26 gladiolus cultivars at Research Farm of Directorate of Floricultural Research, New Delhi. The minimum days required for sprouting was recorded in cultivar Peter Pears (3.40 days), whereas earliest spike initiation (86.33 days) and first floret opening (100.33 days) were observed in cultivar Hunting Song. Maximum plant height (115.87 cm) and spike length (101.20 cm) were found in cultivar Amsterdam, whereas maximum rachis length (73.39 cm) was recorded in Snow Princess. Maximum number of florets per spike (18.60) and bigger florets size (97.72 mm) were recorded in Snow Princess and Priscilla, respectively. The cultivar Yellow Stone was found with maximum number of corms per plant (2.68), whereas highest average corm weight (71.60 g) and corm size (64.87 mm) were recorded in Forta Rosa, and highest cormels weight (17.50 g) in Argentina. Higher values of phenotypic coefficient of variation (PCV) and genotypic coefficient of variation (GCV) were recorded for cormel weight, i.e. 104.36 and 67.26 and number of cormels per plant, i.e. 99.82 and 71.58, respectively. Maximum heritability was recorded for days to first floret opening (87.23%) followed by rachis length (82.07%) and days to spike initiation (78.26%). Highest values for genetic advance were recorded for plant height (26.35) and spike length (23.36). However, low genetic advance was observed for days to sprouting (0.04) followed by number of corms (0.32) and number of leaves per plant (0.59).