Development and quality of gladiolus stems with the use of vermicompost and Trichoderma sp. in substrate

Abstract

The gladiolus is an important cut flower that is cultivated in all parts of the world, and it is very appreciated to be used in floral arrangements. The growing concern with the environmental contamination and the look for production with higher quality have resulted in increasing the number of studies on the use of organic inputs and microorganisms in floriculture, in particular, the vermicompost and the Trichoderma sp. This work was conducted with the objective to evaluate the development and the quality of gladiolus floral stems in function of the use of vermicompost and Trichoderma sp. applied to the substrate. The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse during the period of August to December of 2015. It was done by utilizing four treatments: T1 = control substrate (50% soil and 50% commercial substrate Carolina Soil); T2 = vermicompost (40%) and control substrate (60%); T3 = Trichoderma sp. added to the control substrate; T4 = Trichoderma sp. added to the vermicompost (40%) and control substrate (60%). The gladiolus variety used was the Peter’s Pears. The variables analyzed were main plant height, Falker chlorophyll index, length and diameter of the main stem, tassel length, quantity of main stem florets, proportionality between tassel and stem, and time until the start of flowering. It was concluded that the development and the quality of the gladiolus floral stem were favored by the use of vermicompost in the concentration of 40% added to the substrate.