<p style="text-align: justify;">Gladiolus is an important cut flower which is extensively cultivated in almost all the states of India. The cultivation of gladiolus fits well in the rotation of grain crops under North Indian plains and is considered important in the diversification. It is becoming more popular due to wide range of colours of the spikes and longer vase life in the flower arrangements and bouquets. It possesses great potential for export particularly to temperate countries from sub tropical regions of India during November to April.</p> <h2 style="text-align: justify;">Climate and Soil</h2> <p style="text-align: justify;">The day temperature up to 25°C and the night temperature up to 16°C is optimum for proper growth and flowering of gladiolus. Minimum illumination of 8 hours per day is essential for most of the gladiolus varieties. Quality of flower spikes and yield are better in long day conditions whereas corm and cormel production is enhanced under short days. Corm storage at 4-7°C is good for better growth and flower production. It requires fertile, well-drained and sandy soil for quality spikes and production of corms/cormels. Water logged or heavy sticky soil results in decaying of corms as well as delay in growth of plants. The texture of heavy soils with poor internal drainage can be improved by mixing organic manure such as compost, FYM, peat moss or sawdust. The soil with a pH between 6.0 and 6.5 having medium fertility is optimum.</p> <h2 style="text-align: justify;">Improved Varieties</h2> <ol> <li style="text-align: justify;">Punjab Glad-3 (2019) the leaves are dark green and sword shaped, its spike length is 103 cm with 17 florets facing towards one side in alternate row arrangement, the florets are bright yellow with 17 days vase life, it takes 105 days to flower, produces 1 corm, 22 cormels per corm and is suitable for cut flower production.</li> <li style="text-align: justify;">Punjab Glad-2 (2016) the leaves are dark green and sword shaped, its spike length is 86 cm with 17 florets facing towards one side in alternate row arrangement, the florets are bright yellow with 16 days vase life, it takes 93 days to flower and produces 1 corm, 47 cormels per corm and is suitable for cut flower production.</li> <li style="text-align: justify;">Punjab Glad-1 (2013) the leaves are pale green and sword shaped, its spike length is 85 cm with 15 florets facing towards one side in alternate row arrangement, the florets are orange coloured with yellow centre with 16 days vase life, it takes 99 days to flower and produces 1 corm, 44 cormels per corm and is suitable for cut flower production.</li> <li style="text-align: justify;">Punjab Pink Elegance (2010) the leaves are pale green and sword shaped, its spike length is 85 cm with 18 florets facing towards one side in alternate row arrangement, the florets are soft pink coloured with magenta spot in the centre and have 17 days vase life, it takes 86 days to flower and is suitable for cut flower production.</li> <li style="text-align: justify;">Punjab Glance (2010) the leaves are green, thick and sword shaped, its spike length is 85 cm and 12 florets per spike facing on front side in alternate row arrangement, the florets are bright orange with yellow centre and suitable for bedding.</li> <li style="text-align: justify;">Punjab Lemon Delight (2010) the leaves are dark green with brown tinge, its spike length is 84 cm with 12 florets facing towards front in alternate row arrangement, the florets are of lemon yellow colour and suitable for bedding.</li> <li style="text-align: justify;">White Prosperity (2001) the spike length is 96 cm with 17 florets per spike, the florets are white and it takes 110-120 days for flowering and produces 65 cormels per plant.</li> <li style="text-align: justify;">Nova Lux (2001) the spike length is 79 cm with 15 florets per spike, the florets are deep yellow and take 110-120 days for flowering and produce 47 cormels per plant.</li> <li style="text-align: justify;">Suchitra (1996) the spike length is 83 cm with 15-16 florets per spike, the florets are light pink with deep pink blotches and take 90-95 days for flowering and produces 85 cormels per plant.</li> <li style="text-align: justify;">Sylvia (1987) the spike length is 75 cm with 13-15 florets per spike, the florets are brick red to maroon and take 120 days for flowering and produces 15 cormels per plant.</li> </ol> <h2 style="text-align: justify;"> <br>Agronomic Practices</h2> <h3 style="text-align: justify;">Planting Time</h3> <p style="text-align: justify;">Optimum planting time for commercial crop is September-October. Staggered planting can, however, be done at 10-15 day intervals from mid-August to mid-December to get continued supply of spikes over a longer period and to match the market demand and avoid glut in the market. For early flower production, planting the corms is done in first week of July to third week of August. It will be ready for harvesting during October-November and helps the farmers to fetch better profits and reduce glut in market during main season. Punjab Glance and Punjab Lemon Delight are most suitable for early planting.</p> <h3 style="text-align: justify;">Method of Planting</h3> <p style="text-align: justify;">Gladiolus is propagated through corms which are planted at spacing of 30x20 cm accommodating 60,000-70,000 corms in an acre. The depth of planting depends more on the corm size and it should be 7-10 cm. However, high density and ridge/bed plantation can also be practiced depending upon the nature of soil.</p> <h3 style="text-align: justify;">GA₃ treatment for flowering grade corm production</h3> <p style="text-align: justify;">Treatment of small cormels with GA₃ @200 mg/l for 24 hrs as dip treatment turn them into flowering grade corm in 2 years as compared to four years required for producing flowering grade corm through natural multiplication in gladiolus.</p> <h3 style="text-align: justify;">Irrigation and Fertilizers</h3> <p style="text-align: justify;">Gladiolus requires frequent irrigation at an interval of 7-10 days from October to February; afterwards the irrigation is given after 4-5 days depending on the temperature in March-April. The plant stage immediately after sprouting and 4-6 leaf stage are very sensitive to water deficiency. Irrigation should be withheld at least 4-6 weeks before lifting of corms. The application of 20 tonnes FYM, 40 kg potassium and 40 kg P2O5 per acre should be applied at the time of field preparation as basal dose. The nitrogen should be applied in two splits doses i.e. 80 kg per acre at 3-leaf stage and 80 kg and 40 kg potassium per acre at 6-leaf stage.</p> <h3 style="text-align: justify;">Interculture Operations</h3> <p style="text-align: justify;">This crop requires 2-3 hoeings, first two during vegetative phase and third after the flowering is over at the time of corm development. Earthing up to 10-15 cm height is done when plants are at 4-6 leaf stage or when plants are 15-20 cm high to avoid crop lodging.</p> <h3 style="text-align: justify;">Spike Harvesting and Yield</h3> <p style="text-align: justify;">Gladiolus produce spikes in 60-120 days (2-3 months) depending upon the variety. The spikes should be harvested with secateurs in early morning or late in the evening and immediately kept in water for obtaining better quality. For local market, spikes are harvested when basal one floret is fully opened whereas, for distant market, harvest spike when basal 1-3 florets show color (tight bud). In normal planting density of 60,000 corms/acre, the spike yield is 70,000-75,000 per acre and corm yield is 70,000-80,000 per acre.</p> <h3 style="text-align: justify;">Post Harvest Handling</h3> <p style="text-align: justify;">Vase solution the spikes kept in vase solution containing sucrose (4%) + aluminum sulphate (400 ppm) or sucrose (4%) + NaOCl (50 ppm) improve post storage keeping quality of gladiolus spikes harvested at tight stage (when 1-2 basal florets showed colour) up to 4 days. Wet refrigerated storage of spikes the optimum harvesting stage of gladiolus and storage of gladiolus spikes have also been standardized to store surplus produce and to regulate the supply in market, the spikes of gladiolus should be harvested when 5-7 florets show colour which can be stored at 4°C for 9 days. Dry refrigerated storage of spikes pre-storage pulsing of gladiolus spikes with sucrose (20%), Al₂(SO₄)₃·16H₂O (300 ppm) and GA₃ (50 ppm) for 24 hours significantly improves their post storage vase life and per cent opening of florets, then these spikes could be dry-stored in polypropylene sleeves for 14 days with vase life up to 6 days with 60 per cent opening of florets. Modified atmospheric storage of spikes the gladiolus spikes harvested at tight bud stage (basal 1-2 florets show colour) are packed in bundle of 10 spikes in polypropylene sleeve (PP 100 gauge having 120 cm length, 18 cm width and 50 perforations) and stored vertically in cold room (5±0.5°C) for 10 days, these spikes can be utilized for other 13 days with acceptable flower quality.</p> <h3 style="text-align: justify;">Corm Harvesting and Storage</h3> <p style="text-align: justify;">The corms are ready to harvest after 8-10 weeks of spikes harvesting when the leaves start yellowing and shows drying symptoms. After harvesting, corms and cormels are separated and graded, cleaned in water and dried in shade for 7-10 days. The temperature rise in May results in desiccation of corms at room temperature so these dried corms and cormels are then packed in gunny bags/perforated nylon mesh bags and stored in cold storage (4-7°C) up to next planting season i.e., September-October.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://pau.edu/content/ccil/pf/pp_flower.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ORNAMENTAL CROPS-Communication Centre PUNJAB AGRICULTURAL UNIVERSITY LUDHIANA</a></p>