The experiment was conducted at Horticulture Research Farm, Department of Horticulture, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, during the 2023-24 growing season to evaluate the impact of corm size and spacing on the growth, flowering and yield of gladiolus cv. Malaviya Shatabdi. The experiment involved four different corm sizes (1.0-2.0 cm, 2.1-3.0 cm, 3.1-4.0 cm and 4.1- 5.0 cm) and six spacing treatments (30 cm × 20 cm, 30 cm × 25 cm, 30 cm × 30 cm, 30 cm × 40 cm, 20 cm

× 20 cm and 20 cm × 30 cm). Both corm size and spacing significantly affected all parameters examined. The largest corm size (4.1-5.0 cm) resulted in earlier spike initiation (78.91 days), tallest plant (58.61 cm), longest spike (65.58 cm), longest leaf (49.81 cm) and the greatest number of corms (2.97 per plant). Among the spacing treatments, wider spacing (30 cm × 30 cm) produced tallest plant (58.61 cm), longest spike (65.78 cm), longest leaf (49.58 cm), along with more number of corms (2.84 per plant). The combination of the largest corm (4.1-5.0 cm) and wider spacing (30 cm × 30 cm) resulted in the tallest plant (53.96 cm), longest spike (65.89 cm), longest leaf (50.27 cm) and the most corms (2.78 per plant). The smallest corm (1.0-2.0 cm) with closer spacing (20 × 30 cm) showed the latest inflorescence initiation (86.17 days) and the smallest plant height (40.75 cm).

Highlights

• Larger corms significantly enhance vegetative growth, early spike emergence, longer spikes and higher floret count due to greater nutrient reserves. This results in better-quality flowers and increased commercial value.
• Wider spacing promotes better aeration, light penetration and nutrient availability, leading to stronger plant growth and more robust spike development. However, denser spacing may increase plant population per unit area, affecting individual plant vigour