Response of gladiolus to nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium fertilization

The experiment was carried out to study the effects of nitrogen (0, 20, 40, 60, 80 g/m²), phosphorus (0, 5, 10, 20 g/m²) and potassium (0, 15, 20, 25 g/m²) on growth, flowering and yield in gladiolus cv. Jester Gold in FRBD at IAR1, New Delhi, during 2000–01 and 2001–02, Application of 60 g N/m² resulted into maximum leaves/shoot (6.0), leaf area/plant (330.83 cm²), plant height (80.6 cm), diameter of first floret on third day of opening (9.7 cm), durability of first floret (3.8 days) and whole spike (12.4 days), florets/spike (15.7), spike length (58.8 cm), rachis length (44.7 days) and useful life of the spike (7.2 days). N at 20 g/m² resulted maximum in number of florets open at first (1.8), earliest 50% heading (95.6 days) and first floret showing colour (114.3 days) while 40 g N/m²resulted in earliest 50% sprouting (7.9 days). Higher dose of nitrogen (80 g/m²) resulted into maximum corms/plant (1.8), corm size (5.3 cm), corm weight (44.8 g), cormel weight (5.0 g), cormels/plant (19.3) and propagation coefficient (315.2%).