Growth, Flowering, and Durability of Gladiolus Affected by Foliar Application of Calcium from Different Sources and at Different Doses

Gladiolus is one of the most important cut flowers in the world, especially in Iran. A field experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of spraying different calcium doses and sources on the quality and quantity of Gladiolus grandiflorus cv. Rose Supreme. The experiment was conducted in a factorial randomized complete block design with three replications in two years in 2017-2019. The calcium concentrations were 0, 0.3, 0.6, 0.9, 1.2, and 1.5 g L^-1 from the sources of CaCl2 and CaNo3. The data revealed that foliar application of calcium doses had significant effects on most quality and quantity growth parameters. Increasing the calcium dose stimulated lower stalk height, flowering stem diameter, spike length, in florescence fresh and dry weight, inflorescence bending, vase life, and leaf calcium concentration. Calcium at a dose of 1.2 g L^-1 decreased flower stem bending and increased diameter and vase life by 26.5 and 36.7%, respectively compared to the control. Also, pre-harvest foliar application of calcium nitrate at the rate of 1.2 g L^-1 increased leaf calcium concentration and stem bending, resulting in delaying senescence and therefore extending flower longevity. The experiment faced no limitations. Then, the application of calcium fertilizers improved the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of gladiolus flowers.