EFFECT OF ZINC ON GROWTH, FLOWERING, CORM ATTRIBUTES, POST-HARVEST LIFE AND LEAF AND CORM NUTRIENT STATUS IN GLADIOLUS CV. RED BEAUTY

摘要

The present investigation was undertaken to find out the optimum concentration of zinc in gladiolus. Theplants were sprayed with various doses of zinc sulphate (0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8 and 1.0%) at 3 and 6 leaf pair stages.Control plants were treated with distilled water. Experiment was laid out in a randomized block design with fourreplications. In this experiment growth, flowering, corm and post-harvest characters were observed along withleaf and corm nutrient (N, P, K. and Zn) status. Application of zinc sulphate (0.2%) gave maximum plant height,spike length, rachis length and florets opened at a time, whereas corm yield/m~2 and per cent opening of floretsin vase were maximum with the application of zinc sulphate at 0.4%. It was observed that higher concentrationof zinc sulphate (beyond 0.4%) had negative effect on plant growth, flowering and corm yield. This implies that0.4% zinc sulphate is the optimum concentration in gladiolus for better crop performance. Maximum zinccontent of leaf was recorded with 1.0% zinc sulphate application which was at par with lower concentrations(0.6 and 0.8%). Maximum N and K contents of corm were recorded with application of zinc sulphate at 0.6 and0.2%, respectively.