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Gladiolus, commonly called "glads," are frequently planted in home gardens or field grown for cut flowers. Gladiolus plants and corms are susceptible to diseases caused by fungi, bacteria and viruses. It is best to avoid diseases whenever possible by starting with healthy stock; however, if problems do occur, learn to identify disease symptoms so the proper management steps may be taken. Integrated pest management for gladioli includes proper handling, harvesting, and storage of corms. Chemical applications may be necessary as well in some situations.
colors. Often plants are stunted and fail to bloom. The corm rot, not always visible externally, is often restricted to the corm base. When the corm is split in half, there may be dark-colored streaks that extend from the corm base through the flesh. In storage, corms may develop dark spots on the surface or in severe cases the entire center may be black and decayed. Management includes removal of infected plants and corms with obvious decay. Follow good harvesting and storage procedures. Fungicides may be used to dust corms before planting. The use of high nitrogen fertilizers tends to increase corm rot development.
fungicide resistance. Remove diseased plants. Harvest corms during dry weather as early as possible. Other fungal leaf diseases caused by Stemphylium sp and Curvularia sp occur during wet seasons. Stemphylium sp causes small light-green to yellow leaf lesions with a distinct red center. Curvularia sp causes characteristic diamond-shaped lesions with yellow borders. In either disease, infected tissue should be removed and destroyed. Fungicides may be used to protect healthy tissue from infection.
Light streaking on leaves and flowers produced by feeding of the thrips insect can be confused with a viral disease. Thrips damage usually occurs uniformly in a planting, while viral symptoms generally are on scattered plants only. Aster yellows disease, caused by a phytoplasma organism, causes distorted, twisted flower spikes. Flowers may remain green and plants may be stunted. Aster yellows is spread by leaf hopper insects.
Most viral and phytoplasma diseases are spread by insects, vegetative propagation or nematodes. Remove and destroy infected plants and corms. Early season insect control may also help avoid introduction and spread of disease. There is no chemical control for viral or phytoplasma diseases.
Cultural Management
Many disease causing organisms are carried on the surface or interior of corms. An easy way to avoid gladiolus diseases is to purchase healthy corms each year; however if you want to save corms over the winter, they must be handled properly. Old or newly purchased corms should be inspected carefully before planting.
Spring Treatment
It is important to start with healthy corms. Examine each corm for evidence of decay or storage rot (see figure 1). Remove the husk to make inspection easier since this does not injure the corm. Destroy any corms that are badly damaged. These corms will not produce satisfactory plants and will only spread disease.
Summer Care
Diseases which originate in infected corms cannot be controlled with fungicidal sprays during the summer. Dig up and destroy abnormal, stunted or discolored plants. Since some diseases are transmitted to healthy plants by insects, an insect control program may help prevent the introduction and spread of disease. During rainy periods which last for several days, leaf blight diseases may develop. When these conditions occur, protective fungicides may be used to prevent foliar or flower infections (see Table 1). When spraying gladioli with protective fungicides, improved coverage and thus additional protection may be obtained by adding a spreader sticker or a detergent to the sprayer.
Table 1. Registered fungicides and bactericides for Gladiolus. Fungicide Captan Chlorothalonil (Daconil 2787) DCNA (Botran) Fixed Coppers (Kocide,Phyton) Iprodione (Chipco 26019) Mancozeb (Manzate) Mertect PCNB (Terraclor) Thiophanate-methyl Botrytis X X Fusarium X Penicillium X Stemphylium & Curvularia X Stromatinia Pseudomonas
X X X X
X X
X X X
X X X X X