Effect of Integrated Nutrient Management (INM) on growth and flowering in gladiolus (Gladiolus grandiflorus L.) cv. “White prosperity”

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of Iintegrated Nutrient Management (INM) on during Rabi season of 2012. The experiment laid out in Randomized Block Design (RBD) with three replications. The experiment consisted of ten treatments viz. T₁, [Control (without any application of fertilizer and manure)], T₂, [100%RDF,(NPK 300:200:200 kg/ha)], T₃, [75% RDF, (NPK 225:150:150 kg/ha) + 2 Tonnes of Vermicompost], T₄, [75% RDF, (NPK 225:150:150 kg/ha) + 2 Tonnes of Vermicompost + PSB, (2.5kg/ha)], T₅, [75% RDF, (NPK 225:150:150 kg/ha) + 2 Tonnes of Vermicompost + Azatobactor, (2.5kg/ha)], T₆, [75% RDF, (NPK 225:150:150 kg/ha) + 2 Tonnes of Vermicompost + PSB, (2.5kg/ha) growth and flowering in gladiolus (Gladiolus grandiflorus L.) cv. “White Prosperity” at Horticulture Research Center of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel University of Agriculture and Technology, Meerut + Azatobactor, (2.5kg/ha)], T₇, [50% RDF, (NPK 150:100:100 kg/ha) + 2 Tonnes of Vermicompost], T₈, [50% RDF, (NPK 150:100:100 kg/ha) + 2 Tonnes of Vermicompost + PSB, (2.5kg/ha)], T₉, [50% RDF, (NPK 150:100:100 kg/ha) + 2 Tonnes of Vermicompost + Azatobactor, (2.5kg/ha)], T₁₀, [50% RDF, (NPK 150:100:100 kg/ha) + 2 Tonnes of Vermicompost + PSB, (2.5kg/ha) + Azatobactor, (2.5kg/ha)]. Among all the treatments, treatmentT6, [75% RDF, (NPK 225:150:150 kg/ha) + 2 Tonnes of Vermicompost + PSB, (2.5kg/ha) + Azatobactor, (2.5kg/ha)] significantly gave the maximum plant height, number of leaves per plant, length of longest leaf per plant, number of sprouts per plant. This treatment was also significantly noted to induce early flowering, days required for visibility of first spike, days required for opening of the first flower. However, the maximum number of spike per plant, diameter of flower, diameter of spike, number of spikes per plant, vase life of cut flower at room temperature and longevity of spike.