Dormancy in gladiolus: The cause and remedy – A review

Gladiolus ranks second in area and production of cut flowers grown in India. Dormancy of corms and cormels is one of the major hindrances in the commercial cultivation of gladiolus. The physiological basis of corm and cormel dormancy has been ascribed to the accumulation of growth inhibiting substances, especially abscisic acid (ABA). Cold storage of corms at 4–5°C for 3–4 months is the widely followed practice for breaking the dormancy, which restricts their use to only one season i.e., winter. Considerable work has been done on breaking dormancy in corms and cormels. Effective chemical treatments need to be standardized irrespective of the variety, location and environment.