Comparative performance of gladiolus cultivars under coconut garden and open conditions

A field experiment was carried out at ICAR Research Complex for Goa, Old Goa, during summer 2004, to assess the relative performance of gladiolus cultivars under partial shade (35–60 per cent) of coconut garden and open field conditions. Plant height, leaf length and spike length were more in coconut garden when compared to open conditions. Performance of the cultivars was better in open conditions for most of the characters. Interaction between cultivars and environment was found significant for all the characters. Results were found nort significant between shade and open for number of leaves per plant, days to opening of first floret, weight of corm and number of corms per plant. Among the cultivars, Rose Supreme produced the tallest plants and the maximum plant height and leaf length were also obtained by the same cultivar under shady conditions. Flowering was early in Peter Pears and White Prosperity while it was late in Darshan under both the conditions. Spikes produced in open conditions contained more number of florets per spike in all the cultivars. The cultivar Wigs Sensation was significantly superior to others in number of florets per spike. White Prosperity produced spikes with maximum length. Bigger size corms were observed in open conditions compared to shade and Wigs Sensation produced the corms having maximum size both under shade and open conditions.