1Division of Floriculture and Landscaping, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi-110012. e-mail: naveen_iari@yahoo.com
2Department of Horticulture, College of Agriculture, Acharya N.G.Ranga Agricultural University, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad-500 030.
The effect of chemical treatments viz., thiourea (2%), hydrogen cyanamide (1%), potassium nitrate (1%), propyl gallate (1%) salicylic acid (100 ppm) and gibberellic acid (100 ppm) as 24 h soaking on breaking the dormancy of gladiolus cormels cvs. Jyotsna and Shabnum was investigated. Cultivar Shabnum took significantly less number of days for corm sprouting than the Jyotsna. HC followed by TU were superior in respect of per cent sprouting and days taken for sprouting in both the cultivars. Both the treatments were at par in increasing the corm diameter, weight and volume. There is a strong positive association between alternative pathway of respiration and dormancy release. Promoters of alternate respiration (HC, TU and SA) were highly effective in breaking cormel dormancy, whereas propyl gallate, a potential inhibitor of alternate respiration could not break the dormancy.
Cormel, dormancy, hydrogen cyanamide, gibberellic acid, gladiolus, potassium nitrate, salicylic acid, thiourea
