Assessment of Inter-varietal Cross Lines of Gladiolus on Vegetative and Floral Traits for Selection and Promotion in Nepal

Artificial crossing between species and varieties has been effective in producing new gladiolus cultivar with desirable traits. The seeds obtained from the total of twelve inter-varietal cross lines were raised in nurseries in 2013. The corms and cormels were selected yearly from the first phase to the fourth phase of selection. Forty seven inter-varietal cross lines and one check genotype were assessed in preliminary non-replicated trial in 2017 in the field of Regional Agricultural Research Station, Lumle, Nepal. A total of twenty five inter-varietal cross lines of gladiolus was selected, and assessed to develop new productive and attractive varieties of gladiolus on the basis of sixteen traits: the first spike emergence, complete spike emergence, the first  floret loosening,  maximum number of floret opening at a time, floret diameter, number of florets /spike, days to the seventh floret wilting, flower life, plant height, spike length, rachis length, number of spikes/ mother corm, number of marketable spikes /mother corm, number of filled capsules/spike, number of unfilled capsules/spike and total number of capsules/spike. Forty six inter-varietal cross lines were selectively reduced to twenty five inter-varietal cross lines after they had been assessed in the preliminary trial. Eventually ten cross lines: HRSDG-013-2.17(A), HRSDG-013-7.4(B), HRSDG-013-7.8(A), HRSDG-013-7.8(B), HRSDG-013-8.5(A), HRSDG-013-8.16(A), HRSDG-013-9.12(A-2), HRSDG-013-10.24, HRSDG-013-11.7(B) and HRSDG-013-11.17(B-2) are likely to be promoted for replicated trial so as to develop new desirable varieties in future.