Varietal Assessment of Gladiolus (Gladiolus spp.) for Growth, Flowering Characteristics, Yield and Economics under Highland Agroclimatic Conditions of Wayanad, Kerala, India

Gladiolus (Gladiolus grandiflora L.) is a significant commercial flower that has been grown all over the world since the late 16th century. It is perfect for both garden displays and floral arrangements. It ranks first in the world for the trade of bulbous flowers and eighth for the production of cut flowers. This study was carried out to assess the high-yielding gladiolus variety in Wayanad conditions. To determine the growth and yield character of four commercial varieties of Gladiolus viz., Arka Amar, Arka Ayush, Arka Kesar, and Arka Tilak was planted in open fields under ecological conditions of Wayanad. These varieties were compared for their plant height, spike length, number of florets, floret diameter, and yield. As the result of the study, the data reveals that the maximum plant height was recorded in Arka Kesar (134 cm) followed by Arka Amar (126 cm). Spike length was recorded highest at (114.66 cm) in Arka Kesar followed by (112.33cm) in Arka Amar. Floret diameter was recorded highest in Arka Tilak (11.47 cm) and lowest was recorded in Arka Ayush (8.43 cm). The number of florets was observed maximum in Arka Kesar (20.10) followed by Arka Amar (18.30). The number of spikes/hectare was recorded maximum in Arka Kesar (2.40 lakhs) followed by Arka Amar (2.25 lakhs).