Performance of Gladiolus Gladiolus grandiflorus L at different levels of fertilizers and spacing using marigold Tagetes patula as an intercrop

Abstract

The investigation was conducted in the Experimental farm of Department of newlineHorticulture, Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat during 2018-19 and 2019-20, to newlinestudy the effect of varied levels of spacing and Nitrogenous fertilizer doses in newlineintercropping of French marigold with Gladiolus on growth, yield and quality attributes newlineof the crops and determine the suitable spacing and fertilizer for the system. Postharvest newlinequality of gladiolus spikes produced in the system was further evaluated in the newlineLaboratory of Department of Horticulture, AAU, Jorhat during both the years. The first newlineexperiment was replicated three times in 3 factorial RBD with 12 treatments having 3 newlinespacing levels (40cm×20cm, 50cm×20cm, 60cm×20cm), 3 Nitrogenous doses (130 + newline220 + 200 kg NPK/ha, 160 + 220 + 200 kg NPK/ha, 190 + 220 + 200 kg NPK/ha), newlinewhich were compared with 3 controls (Sole Gladiolus, Sole Marigold and Gladiolus + newlineMarigold intercropping with RDF and Recommended Fertilizer). Laboratory newlineexperiment laid out in CRD with 3 replications and 10 treatments viz. Distilled water, newlineSucrose 4%), NaOCl 100 ppm, 8-HQC 200 ppm, Al2(SO4)3 300 ppm, CoSO4 400 ppm, newlineSucrose 4% + Al2(SO4)3 300 ppm, Sucrose 4% + 8-HQC 200 ppm, Sucrose 4% + newlineCoSO4 400 ppm and Sucrose 4% + NaOCl 100 ppm. newlineField experiment revealed that growth, floral, yield and quality traits recorded newlinesignificant variation in intercropping of both crops. In gladiolus, maximum sprouts per newlineplant (2.43), plant height (140.79 cm) and leaves per plant (7.07) recorded with 190 + newline220 + 200 kg NPK/ha (F3). Spacing of 60cm×20cm (S3) recorded highest plant height newline(141.12 cm) and leaves per plant (7.32). Sprouts per plant was superior (2.13) in newline50cm×20cm spacing, which is at par with 60cm×20cm spacing. The treatment effect newlinehaving maximum sprouts per plants (2.52) was attained in T9 (S2F3) and maximum plant newlineheight (144.17 days) and leaves per plant (7.42) were revealed in T12 (S3F3). newlineFlowering attributes including days to emergence of gladiolus spike (79.20 newlinedays), bud initiation (87.19 days) and opening...