The Effect of Micronutrients (B, Zn and Fe) Foliar Application on the Growth, Flowering and Corm Production of Gla diolus ( Gladiolus grandiflorus L.) in Calcareous Soils

Abstract

Gladiolus ( Gladiolus grandiflorus L.) is one of the most widely cultivated, economic ally important and common flowering plants worldwide inc luding Pakistan. However, its yield of flower is quite low when grown under agro-climat ic conditions of Multan. A field experiment was conducted at the Experimental Area, Department of Horticulture, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan (Pakistan), d uring 2010-2012 to investigate the effect of micronutrients (B, Zn and Fe) on growth, flower yield and quality of gladiolus cv. Traderhorn . Eight treatments comprised of either each micronu trient alone or a combination of Fe, B and Zn were applied. Corms wer e planted within the first week of November 2010, and 2011 on 60 cm apart ridges with 20 cm distance allowed within rows. Twenty corms were planted in each treatment, of thr ee replicates. Micronutrient sprays were applied at 30 and 60 Days After Planting (DAP) . Application of the micronutrients significantly increased plant height, leaf chloroph yll content, flower stalk length, flower fresh weight, spike length, florets per spike, flor ets’ fresh weight and diameter, flower vase-life, flower diameter as well as fresh weight of corms. Leaf number and days to spike emergence were only influenced by a combined applic ation of all the three micronutrients. Among the micronutrient treatments, the treatment containing FeSO 4 .7H 2 O, H 3 BO 3 and ZnSO 4 .7H 2 O (all at 2% level) performed the best for all the parameters except for number of corm per plant, whi ch was not affected significantly by the foliar application of the micronutrients.