Consequences of Bio-fertilizers & Micro-nutrients on Growth, Flowering, Corm and Cormels Production of Gladiolus (Gladiolus Hybridus Hort.)

Abstract

An investigation, “Consequences of Bio-fertilizers & Micro-nutrients on Growth, Flowering, Corm and Cormels Production of Gladiolus (Gladiolus hybridus Hort.)” was carried out at the HRC, College of Agriculture, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel University of Agriculture & Technology, Meerut (U.P.), during the rabi season of year 2018-19. Four biofertilizers viz; Azotobacter, PSB, KSB, Azotobacter + PSB + KSB, four micronutrients viz; ZnSO4 (0.4%), MnSO4 (0.4%), FeSO4 (0.3%), (ZnSO4 0.4% + MnSO4 0.4% + FeSO4 0.3%) and their 10 combinations with recommended dose of chemical fertilizers are used, in addition to controlled, comprised 20 treatments of this experiment. The experiment was laid out in a Randomized block design (RBD) with three Replications. Among biofertilizers, T19 (Azotobacter @ 2.0ml/plant + PSB @ 2.0ml/plant + KSB @ 2.0ml/plant), among micronutrients, T18 (ZnSO4 0.4% + MnSO4 0.4% + FeSO4 0.3%) and in combined applications of biofertilizers with micronutrients, T20 (Azotobacter @ 2.0ml/plant + PSB @ 2.0ml/plant + KSB @ 2.0ml/plant + ZnSO4 0.4% + MnSO4 0.4% + FeSO4 0.3%) gave superior fallouts of all observed parameters viz; germination, growth, flowering, corm & cormels, yield and quality, than others and controlled treatment. Minimum time taken for corm sprouting and maximum spikes production plant-1, and hectare-1 among all treatments observed in T19 (Azotobacter @ 2.0ml/plant + PSB @ 2.0ml/plant + KSB @ 2.0ml/plant), while maximum vase-life of cut flowers observed in T18 (ZnSO4 0.4% + MnSO4 0.4% + FeSO4 0.3%). Treatment T20 (Azotobacter @ 2.0ml/plant + PSB @ 2.0ml/plant + KSB @ 2.0ml/plant + ZnSO4 0.4% + MnSO4 0.4% + FeSO4 0.3%), recorded superior in all other parameters viz; number of leaves and tillers plant-1, plant height, leaf length, leaf area, flowering span, spike weight, spike length, rachis length, corm size, corms and cormels production and early opening of first spike. Hence, we can say that the biofertilizers with foliar spray of micronutrients are beneficial for increasing growth and quality production of spikes as well as corms and cormels of gladiolus.