Effect of GA3 and Ethrel on Growth, Flowering and Yield Attributes of Gladiolus CV. Congo Song

Pre-planting soaking of corms with growth regulators significantly influenced the most of the growth, flowering and yield parameters in gladiolus cv. Congo Song. Treatment with gibberellic acid was found better than ethrel. Soaking of corms with GA3 hastened the corm sprouting, scaping and colour break in basal floret; increased the leaf width, girth of plant and spike, size and placement of floret and vase life of cut spike. GA3 also increased to no. of fresh flowers at a time, yield of spikes/ha and size and yield of corms. Application of ethrel significantly delayed the sprouting of mother corm, spike emergence, reduced the thickness of spike and size of floret, increased the compactness of florets and yield of spikes and daughter corms per unit area. Soaking of corms with, GA3 at higher level resulted in the earliest sprouting of corm as well as spike emergence, thickest plant, longer floret and vase life of cut spike and higher yield of spikes and daughter corms per hectare. Among the different concentrations of ethrel, its lower dose (250ppm) resulted in the thicker spike, wider placement of florets, maximum yield of spikes and daughter corms/ha, while 500ppm ethrel resulted in wider sized floret and maximum vase life of spike as compared to control ones.