SEED SETTING BEHAVIOUR AMONG RESISTANT AND SUSCEPTIBLE GENOTYPES OF GLADIOLUS ( SUSCEPTIBLE GENOTYPES OF GLADIOLUS (GLADIOLUS GLADIOLUS XHYBRIDUS XHYBRIDUS XHYBRIDUS HORT.) FOR FUSARIUM WILT DISEASE

Abstract

Gladiolus (family Iridaceae) is one of the most important flowering geophytes commercially cultivated for cut flower trade in India and abroad. A total of eight intervarietal cross combinations of resistant and susceptible gladiolus genotypes were made and tested at ICAR-Indian Horticultural Research Institute, Hesaraghatta Lake Post, Bengaluru during 2011-2012 with an objective to find out the potentiality of seed setting in different cross combinations.The cross combination ‘IIHRG-12 × Arka Amar’ recorded maximum number of seeds per cross (157.33), early capsule maturity (30.33 days) and highest seed germination (96.89%). The genotype ‘IIHRG-12’ as a female parent in cross combination contributed to higher number of seeds per capsule and per cross. Inclusion of ‘IIHRG-12’ as male parent also has increased comparatively high number of seeds than any of the cross combinations tested.