Flowering, tuberization and carbohydrate metabolism of gladiolus as affected by gibberellic acid and chlormequat

ABSTRACT

Soaking gladiolus corms in 25 ppm gibberellic acid and 10000 ppm chlormequat induced earlier blooming of gladiolus. Soaking the cormels in the two growth substances increased the levels of carbohydrate fractions of both overground and underground organs and also yielded heavier corms. Spraying both growth regulators before flowering [4-5 leaf-old-plants] induced earlier flowering and enhanced corm and cormel formation. Spraying the plants at this stage with GA, yielded taller spikes with more number of flowers per spike, however, spraying after flower cut with both substances yielded heavier corms and cormels, CCC was superior to GA3. GA3 increased carbohydrate contents of both leaves and spikes while both growth regulators sprayed before or after flowering increased different carbohydrate fractions in corms and cormels