Effect of growth regulators on flowering and corm production in gladiolus

The effect of foliar spray of brassinosteroids (BR), N-2-chloro 4-pyridyl N-phenyl urea (CPPU) and jasmonic acid (JA) along with traditional growth regulators like GA3, benzyl adenine (BA) and NAA on growth, flowering and corm and cornmel production of two gladiolus varieties Jyotsna and Shabnum were investigated. Jyotsna recorded maximum plant height, number of leaves and leaf area over cv. Shabnum. GA3 treatment recorded maximum plant height, number of leaves and leaf length over other treatments. Jyotsna was superior over Shabnum in respect of spike length, spike field life and number of days taken for flowering. GA3 and jasmonic acid increased spike length, number of florets per spike and spike field life over other treatments. All the growth regulators except NAA recorded maximum leaf area during vegetative growth resulting early flowering. The two cultivars did not differ in the number of corms produced per plot but the cv. Shabnum was superior in producing more number of big cormels. Corm size, corm weight and corm volume were maximum in Jyotsna than Shabnum. Propagation coefficient was highest in the Shabnum. Foliar sprays of jasmonic acid and brassinosteroids significantly increased the number of corms and cormels produced per plot and propagation coefficient.