Fertilizers are the main limiting factors affecting the agricultural production. Providing timely fertigation along with mulching in gladiolus is highly essential at critical stages as it indirectly affects root growth, spike and corm yield. However, literature on studies on optimizing fertigation schedule and mulching in gladiolus were found meagre. Hence trials were carried out to study the growth, flowering, yield and nutrient status of gladiolus cv. Pusa Jyotsna under different levels of drip fertigation and mulching during 2019-20 & 2020-21 at CPCT, IARI, New Delhi, involving 4 fertigation levels (100%, 80%, 60% and 120% RDF), 3 mulch levels (control, Silver/black and Yellow/black) set up in a Factorial Randomized Block Design. Fertigation with 80% RDF and Silver/Black mulch recorded earliest days to corms sprouting, highest leaf chlorophyll, least days to flowering, highest spike length, most florets/spike, longer duration of flowering, highest spikes/ha, highest corms/ha, higher available N, P and K (kg/ha) in soil. This study concluded that combination of drip fertigation at 80% RDF and Silver/Black mulch was effective in boosting yield and producing high-quality flowers.

Gladiolus, Fertigation, Mulching, Growth, Yield, Nutrient status

According to the findings of the study, the combination of drip fertigation at 80% RDF and silver/black mulch significantly increased the majority of the characters viz vegetative, flowering, and NPK content in soil as well as leaves of the gladiolus cv. Pusa Jyotsna as compared to other treatments. Additionally, using 80% RDF + Silver/Black Mulch helps to properly utilise fertilisers by lowering cost by up to 20%, saving labour costs, and having a significant impact on crop yields, quality, growth, and water and nutrient conservation when compared to other conventional irrigation and fertilisation methods.

Pooja A., Kishan Swaroop, Man Chand Singh, Varun Hiremath and Sneha Nymagoud (2022). Effect Impact of Fertigation and Mulching on Vegetative, Flowering, Yield and Nutrient Status of Gladiolus cv. Pusa Jyotsna. Biological Forum – An International Journal, 14(4a): 91-97.