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International Conference on

Recent Trends in Environmental Sustainability

ESCON22/ETERM/38
Effect of foliar application of various micronutrients on growth and production of
gladiolus

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Muhammad Asif* , Mohsin Bashir1, Ahsin Akram1 and Junaid Aslam
1 Institute of Horticultural Sciences, University of Agriculture Faisalabad.
Correspondence: roymasif@yahoo.co.in
Abstract

Present research work was carried out to see the effect of micronutrients viz, copper, zinc and
manganese on growth and production of gladiolus at Floriculture Research Area, Institute of
Horticultural Sciences, University of agriculture, Faisalabad during year 2020-21. The
treatments were comprised of CuSO4 0.25%, MnSO4 0.5% and ZnSO4 0.75% alone and in
combinations with control i.e. T0 (Control - water spray), T1 (Cu 0.25 % Aqueous solution),
T2 (Mn 0.75 % Aqueous solution), T3Zn 0.5 % Aqueous solution), T4 (Cu o.25 % + Mn 0.75
%Aqueous solution), T5 (Cu 0.25 % + Zn 0.5 %Aqueous solution), T6 (Mn 0.75 % + Zn 0.5
%Aqueous solution), T7 (Cu 0.25 % + Mn 0.75 % + Zn 0.5 %Aqueous solution). Sowing of
gladiolus corms was done in 2nd week of November 2020 on ridges with 60 cm R x R and 7.5
cm P x P distance. Randomized complete block design (RCBD) was followed for the laying of
experiment having eight treatments with three replications, making total number of
experimental units twenty-four. Twenty corms were sown in each experiment unit at a depth
of 4-7 cm. Micronutrients were applied at two different growth stages i.e three leaf stage and
six leaf stage. The treatment (T7) significantly increased the plant height (118.48 cm), number
of leaves per plant (10.76), leaf area (100.45 cm²), spike length (39.1cm), spike diameter (9.17
mm), number of flowers per spike (13.33), flower diameter (106.67 mm), fresh weight of spike
(48.24 g), dry weight of spike (6.64 g), highest flower quality (9.00), longer vase life (11.91
d), total leaf chlorophyll contents (SPAD) (70.171), corms diameter (30.21 mm), corms weight
(20.43 g) maximum number of corms per plant (3.63) stomatal conductance (0.05µmol m-2 s-
1) photosynthetic rate leaf (3.03 µmol m-2 s-1) leaf temperature (30.5 oC) and leaf transpiration
rate (0.59 mmol m-2 s-1) as compared to all the treatments.

Keywords: photosynthetic, foliar application, micronutrients, growth, production

Department of Environmental Sciences, COMSATS University Islamabad, Vehari Campus

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