Effect of different treatments of putrescine, nutrition and media on some morphological and biochemical parameters of two gladiolus cultivars under soilless conditions

This experiment was conducted to study the effects of Hoagland solution, putrescine (50 and 100 ppm), calcium nitrate solution, and coco peat: perlite medium with three ratios (v/v) (1: 1, 3: 1 and 1: 3) on some morphological and biochemical parameters of two gladiolus cultivars (strong and white) under soilless conditions in 2016. Data indicated that most criteria of vegetative growth including plant height, number of leaves, leaf fresh and dry weight (g) and leaf area (cm²), and biochemical parameters such as chlorophyll a and b (mg/g), and carotenoid content (mg/g) significantly increased in white cultivar, coco peat: perlite medium with ratio (1: 3) and application of Hoagland solution + putrescine 100 ppm when compared with other treatments. The best results in terms of plant height (45.74, 82.20 and 135.51 cm), number of leaves (5.65, 7.89 and 9.95), leaf fresh weight (19.86 g), leaf dry weight (3.52 g), leaf area (590 cm²), chlorophyll a (0.77 mg/g), chlorophyll b (0.46 mg/g) and carotenoids content (0.45 mg/g) observed in white cultivar. Furthermore, plant heights of 36.90, 75.05 and 129.21 cm, leaves numbers of 5.27, 7.58 and 9.66 on days 30, 60 and 90, leaf fresh weight of 19.85 g, leaf dry weight of 3.42 g, leaf area of 601.42 cm², chlorophyll a of 0.78 mg/g, chlorophyll b of 0.45 mg/g and carotenoids content of 0.45 mg/g were observed in coco peat: perlite medium with ratio (1: 3). In the treatment containing application of Hoagland solution + putrescine 100 ppm, heights of plant and number of leaves were 46.55, 89.60 and 145.60 cm, and 5.88, 8.77 and 10.88 after 30, 60 and 90 days, respectively. Moreover, the mentioned treatment showed the highest leaf fresh weight (26.98 g), leaf dry weight (4.33 g), leaf area (669.07 cm²), chlorophyll a (0.97 mg/g), chlorophyll b (0.65 mg/g) and carotenoids (0.64 mg/g).