1Department of Floriculture and Landscaping, University of Horticultural Sciences, Bagalkot, Karnataka, India
2Division of Floriculture and Landscaping, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India
3Keladi Shivappa Nayaka University of Agricultural and Horticultural Sciences, Shivamogga, Karnataka, India
*Corresponding author’s e-mail: jeevanagiaishwarya@gmail.com
The study evaluated genetic variability, heritability, and trait correlations in thirteen gladiolus (Gladiolus hybridus L.) genotypes under Northern Karnataka's agroclimatic conditions. Significant genetic diversity was observed for growth, floral, and corm traits, with high genotypic coefficient of variation (GCV) and phenotypic coefficient of variation (PCV) for flowering duration (GCV: 40.36%, PCV: 40.46%), spike initiation (GCV: 24.26%, PCV: 24.40%), and corm weight (GCV: 21.70%, PCV: 21.85%). Broad-sense heritability exceeded 89% for all traits, with flowering duration (99.53%), corm weight (98.65%), and spike length (98.40%) showing the highest values. High heritability coupled with high genetic advance (>20%) for these traits indicated additive gene action, favoring effective selection. Conversely, traits like florets per spike exhibited moderate genetic advance (16.93%) despite high heritability (89.78%), suggesting non-additive gene influence. Correlation analysis revealed strong positive associations between plant height and spike length (r = 0.652*), corm weight (r = 0.781), and flower diameter with vase life (r = 0.812*). The findings highlight the potential for improving gladiolus through selective breeding, prioritizing traits governed by additive genes, and leveraging inter-trait relationships for enhanced yield and quality
Correlation coefficient, Genetic variability, Gladiolus, Heritability
