YIELD AND QUALITY OF CUT FLOWERS AND CORM PRODUCTION OF GLADIOLUS VARY BY CULTIVAR AT THREE LEVELS OF NITROGEN FERTILITY

Nitrogen plays an important role in the production and quality of crop through enhancing vegetative growth. In spite of this fact, if it is applied in excess of the requirement of the crop then it pollutes both ground water and environment. Hence an optimum level of nitrogen needs to be investigated for Gladiolus crop. Eight cultivars viz., Deciso, Hong Kong, Jessica, Jester Ruffled, Madonna, Peters Pears, Rose Supreme and White Friendship were evaluated at three nitrogen levels (0, 100 and 200 kg ha(-1)). Cultivar Rose Supreme produced the biggest florets (1.4 cm) both at color showing and full open stage (12.1 cm), lengthiest spikes (122.5 cm) at full spike opening, maximum number of 17.2 florets spike(-1), maximum first florets persistency (8.0 days), maximum number of 138.8 cormels mother corm(-1) and the largest daughter corm (7.8 cm). Jessica yielded maximum number of spikes (1.4), and daughter corms (1.6) mother(-1) corm. Jester Ruffled produced maximum spike lengths (97.6 cm) at first floret opening. Nitrogen did not show a significant effect on most of the yield and quality characteristics but a significant effect on the first florets size was observed where a linear increase in first florets size was associated with an increase in nitrogen levels.