EFFECT OF BIO-FERTILIZERS & BIO-STIMULANT ON GROWTH AND FLOWER YIELD OF AFRICAN MARIGOLD (Tagetes erecta L.)
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Date
2018
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Indira Gandhi Krishi Vishwavidyalaya, Raipur
Abstract
Marigold (Tagetes erecta L.) is a potentially exploited commercial short duration loose flower crop in our country. African marigold belongs to Asteraceae family, is native to Central and South America especially Mexico.
The present investigation was aimed to find out the effect of bio-fertilizers & bio-stimulant on growth and flower yield of African marigold (Tagetes erecta l.), which was carried out in summer 2017 at experimental site of Department of Plant Physiology, IGKV, Raipur (CG). The experiment was laid out in Completely Randomized Design (CRD) along with three replications. These studies find the effect of humic acid combination with Azospirillum and Phosphorus Solubilizing Bacteria (PSB) on vegetative growth, flowering and yield with Physiological and quality parameters of marigold. Eight treatment viz. Control, Azospirillum @ 25 ml/l., PSB @ 3 ml/l., Humic acid @ 2000 ppm, Azospirillum (25ml/l.) + PSB (3ml/l.), Azospirillum (25ml/l.)+ Humic Acid (2000 ppm), PSB (3ml/l.) + Humic Acid (2000 ppm) and Azospirillum (25ml/l.) + PSB (3ml/l.) + Humic Acid (2000 ppm). The bio-fertilizers applied at a time of transplanting by seedling deep treatment @ 25 minutes and foliar spray of humic acid at 30 DAT.
Analysis of variance showed that the effect of Azospirillum, PSB, Humic acid and their combinations treatments on plant height, No. of flowers /plant, flower diameter are significant difference. Total leaf area /plant, xanthophyll content /plant and dry weight /plant are highly significant difference and other parameters remain unaffected.
Mean comparisons revealed that treatment with Azospirillum (25ml/l.) + PSB (3ml/l.) + Humic Acid (2000 ppm) has maximum plant height (43.80 cm.), flower diameter (5.01 cm.), No. of flowers /plant (10), average flower weight (2.99 gm.), total leaf area (29.59), xanthophyll content (gm/kg petal meal) (26.59) and dry weight (gm)/plant (15.22). While, comparison showed that treatment with Azospirillum (25ml/l.) + PSB (3ml/l.) have recorded first days to 50% flowering (47 days), maximum flowering duration (43.83 days) and Chlorophyll (A + B) content (2.08). The overall increase in growth rates and biochemical parameters resulted in a marked increase in yield /plant. From the results, it may be concluded that, the application of T8 {Azospirillum (25ml/l.) + PSB (3ml/l.) + Humic Acid (2000 ppm)} was more effective in increasing the yield potential (flowers) of marigold.
Bio-fertilizers and bio-stimulant increase the promotional substances in plant like PGRs which might have stimulated plant metabolic activity and photosynthetic efficacy leading to better growth and development. It may be act like a supporting team for insurance of increased cell division and elongation, also enhances food accumulation and diversion of photo-synthates towards sinks resulting in better growth. C: N ratio also helped in balanced management of vegetative and reproductive phases and promote early flowering. Azospirillum and Phosphorus solubilizing bacteria (PSB) may have been beneficial by fixing atmospheric nitrogen and solubilizing fixed phosphorous in the soil, making it available to plants and it also assists in more uptakes of water and macro and micro nutrients such as Zn, Cu, Mn and Fe.
Humic acid improving physical properties of soil, it promotes good soil structure, thereby improves tilth, aeration and moisture retention. Humic substances have very pronounced influence on the growth of plant roots and enhance root initiation which is a known root stimulator. Humic acid provides carbon as an energy source to nitrogen fixing bacteria and this provides its biological function.
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