Adaptation of some Gladiolus Cultivars to Al- Qassim Environmental Conditions PDF

Keywords

Saudi Arabia, Qassim, Gladiolus cultivars, Adaptation, Genetic structure, Environmental condition.

Abstract

Two field experiments were conducted during two successive seasons to study the effect of the environmental conditions prevailing in Al-Qassim region on the behavior of reproduction and flowering characteristics of Eurovision, Rose Supreme, Prosperity and Nova Lux Gladiolus cultivars. The cultivars were planted on three different dates (October, November, and December), in order to examine their possible adaptation. The results showed that the second planting date (Nov.) substantially improved the length, thickness and dry weight of the flowering-stem for all cultivars. The highest production of corms and cormels was also recorded for the second planting date. Nevertheless, the earliest flowering time was recorded for the first planting date (Oct) for all cultivars. Prosperity was characterized by its better growth and flowering characteristics followed by Rose Supreme, and then Nova Lux. Chemical analysis showed that Nova Lux contained relatively higher N, P and K percentages, whereas the total carbohydrate of Prosperity was higher than that of the other cultivars. The study indicates that not only the genetic structure but also the environmental conditions are important factors determining the success of Gladioli cultivars to grow and flower under the existing field conditions in Al-Qassim.