Studies on the effect of foliar application of calcium on post-harvest, corm and cormel production in gladiolus CV. summer sunshine

Abstract

The experiment was conducted during the year 2011–2013 in Mondouri Horticultural research farm, BCKVV, Mohanpur, West Bengal to study the role of calcium and to identify its effective source and application time on the post-harvest, corm and cormel parameters of gladiolus with foliar application of calcium nitrate and calcium carbonate at different days (3–4, 6 leaf and spike emergence) after plantingand was conducted in Randomized Block Design with three replications. Analysis of variance study indicated that most of the treatments differed significantly among themselves except for days taken for basal floret open, no of corms per plot, corm weight and no of cormels per corm in both the years. The results obtained revealed that foliar spray of calcium favored most of the post-harvest, corm and cormel characters. Calcium nitrate was found superior to calcium carbonate in promoting various post-harvest, corm and cormelcharacters under study. Spraying of calcium nitrate at 6 leaves stage and spike emergence stage to gladiolus plant was most effective to influence the post-harvest, corm and cormelparameters and was found on par with calcium nitrate 300 ppm at 6 leaves stage for maximum characters like vase life, cumulative water uptake, days to incipient senescence, fresh weight of spike, days to senescence, corm diameter, corm thickness and cormel weight per plot.