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high altitude cultivar; and ‘Sabnam’ – plain land cultivar) for two consecutive seasons and flowering was noted in the second
generation of plants. Using RAPD profiles, the genetic fidelity of randomly selected in vitro and ex vitro corms of two cultivars
(‘White Friendship’ and ‘Sabnam’) as well as that of their mother corms was compared.
Iftikhar Ahmad (Pakistan/USA), Muhammad Hussnain Shah (Pakistan) Trichoderma and Intercropping Impact Production,
Quality and Corm Rot Disease of Gladiolus grandiflorus (pp 86-93)
ABSTRACT
Original Research Paper: The effects of Trichoderma harzianum Rifai application and intercropping with Gazania rigens L.
(treasure flower) or Calendula officinalis L. (pot marigold), members of the Asteraceae family, were studied on growth, yield,
quality and controlling corm rot disease of gladiolus. Two experiments were conducted; first using healthy corms of two
gladiolus cultivars, ‘Fado’ and ‘Cantate’ and second on both healthy and artificially infected (with Fusarium oxysporum) corms of
cultivar ‘Fado’ in order to compare the individual treatment effects. The addition of Trichoderma to the medium increased growth,
production and quality as well as reduced disease incidence when applied to healthy corms, although intercropping had a
similar effect. When individual treatment effects were evaluated, use of both Trichoderma and intercrops, applied to infected
corms, significantly improved plant height (65%), foliage growth (122%), reduced crop harvest time (23%), and disease (corm
rot) incidence (78%), increased leaf area (70%), total leaf chlorophyll contents (162%), number of florets (71%), stem length
(69%), stem diameter (68%), and cormel diameter (158%) and were similar to those of grown from healthy corms. However,
when both Trichoderma and intercropping were applied individually to healthy corms, the results were statistically similar. In
both experiments, plants treated with Trichoderma and intercropped had up to 67% less corm rot disease on average than
control (plants grown without Trichoderma and intercropping). In summary, Trichoderma application to soil and intercropping
with members of the Asteraceae family can be effective not only for improving growth, yield and quality of cut gladiolus, but also
controlling corm rot disease of gladiolus. Moreover, intercropped species can also be a source of additional income to the
growers.
Mohamed Elimem, Brahim Chermiti (Tunisia) Color Preference of Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande) (Thysanoptera;
Thripidae) and Orius sp. (Hemiptera; Anthocorridae) Populations on Two Rose Varieties (pp 94-98)
ABSTRACT
Original Research Paper: A study of the preferential choice of Frankliniella occidentalis Pergande revealed the presence of a
phototropism of this pest towards the petal color of its host plant. The color of roses may influence infestation rates by Western
Flower thrips. The white-cream rose variety ‘Ociane’ attracted more individuals of F. occidentalis than the red variety ‘First-red’
in the same greenhouse; 29.54 and 39.85 thrips/flower on ‘Ociane’ while only 12.40 and 29.59 thrips/flower recorded on
‘First-red’ on May 31 st and June 14 th 2007, respectively. In fact, those differences were highly significant almost throughout the
entire study period. The predatory bug Orius sp. also showed a similar preference for the ‘Ociane’ than ‘First-red’, and thus
followed the distribution of its prey.
Anandhi Selvarasu, Rajamani Kandhasamy (India) Intraspecific Hybridization in Glory Lily (pp 99-102)
ABSTRACT
Research Note: Hybridization between genetically distinct populations of a single species can serve as an important stimulus
for the evolution of invasiveness. Such intraspecific hybridization was examined in Gloriosa superba, a medicinal and an
emerging cut flower species. The direct and reciprocal cross of the parents in the intraspecific crosses made among germplasm
of G. superba resulted in more than 90% of pod set. The parent GS 09, either as male or female parent, gave maximum pod set,
fresh pod weight, number of seeds per pod, fresh seed weight per pod. The F 1 hybrids recorded the maximum mean value for
all the characters over the parental mean except number of leaves per plant. The means recorded were 18.28% germination,
51.41 days for germination, 11.01 cm seedling height, 6.06 cm root length, 314.03 for vigour index (VI), 1.74 cm microtuber
length, 2.12 cm microtuber girth, and 1.04 g microtuber weight.
Prabhat Kumar Singh, Raghunath Sadhukhan, Kusal Roy, Hemendra Kumar Sarkar (India) Effect of EMS on
Morpho-anatomical Changes in Tuberose (Polianthes tuberosa L.) (pp 103-105)
ABSTRACT