EFFECT OF PLANT SPACING ON VEGETATIVE AND REPRODUCTIVE GROWTH OF GLADIOLUS CULTIVARS

These studies were carried out at Faculty of Agriculture, Rawalakot, Azad Kashmir, during 2007-2008. Results showed that gladiolus cultivar Arabian Night required more days (16.0) to sprouting than Sabu (13.7 days) and Blad Jack (10.66 days). Sabu produced more plants (1.5) corm^-1 followed by Blad Jack (1.4). Minimum (1.2) plants corm^- 1were produced by Arabian Night. Blad Jack presented maximum plant height (129.8cm) than Arabian Night (97.0cm) and Sabu (89.5 cm). Wider plant spaces allowed the cultivars to gain maximum plant height than narrow spaes. Blad Jack produced more leaves (8.9) than Arabian Night (98.3) and Sabu (7.7). Spikes of Blad Jack developed in (82.0) days than Arabian Night (88.0) and Sabu (97.3). Less number of days (87.1 and 84.4) was required for spike emergence with plant spaces of 20×30cm and 15×30cm.Blad Jack produced longer spikes(76.5 cm) than Arabian Night (64.8 cm) and Sabu (53.9). Blad Jack gained maximum spike length (50.9 cm) at planting distance of 20x30 cm. On the other hand Blad Jack developed more (1.6) spike corm^-1 compared to Sabu (1.1) and Arabian Night (1.1). Similarly, Blad Jack produced more (17.5) florets spike^-1 followed by Arabian Night (12.6) and Sabu (10.5). Sabu produced more corms (1.5) with 25x30 cm. Plant spaces of 25 x 30 cm produced maximum 1.59 corms plant^-1. All three cultivars produced fewer corms with (15×30cm). Blad Jack gain maximum corm size (4.9 cm) followed by Arabian Night (4.2 cm) and Sabu (4.1 cm). On the other hand, Sabu gained maximum cormel size (0.8 cm) than Arabian Night (0.7 cm) and Blad Jack (0.6 cm). Blad Jack gained maximum corm diameter (4.8 cm) followed by Sabu (3.6 cm). Arabian Night obtained maximum corm weight (34.0 g) and produced more (20.5) cormels compared to Arabian Night (18.0) and Sabu (12.1).