STUDIES ON INTEGRATED NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT IN MARIGOLD (Tagetes erecta L.) cv. ‘Siracole
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Date
2024-05-27
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UHF Nauni
Abstract
The present investigation entitled “Studies on integrated nutrient management in
Marigold (Tagetes erecta L.) cv. ‘Siracole’” was carried out at the experimental farm of the
Department of Floriculture and Landscape Architecture, Dr YS Parmar University of Horticulture and
Forestry, Nauni, Solan (HP) during the years 2021-22 and 2022-23. In the experiment different
combinations of organic fertilizers i.e. Jeevamrit, Humic acid and Seaweed extract with different
levels of inorganic fertilizer dose (30:20:20 g/m2 NPK) i.e. 100%, 80% and 60% were used. Thirteen
such treatment combinations were made and the experiment was laid out in Randomized Block
Design (RBD) with three number of replications. Results from the experiment showed that vegetative
and flowering parameters viz., plant spread (55.49 cm), number of primary branches (8.54), number
of secondary branches (63.19), duration of flowering (97.70 days), size of flower (7.06 cm), number
of marketable flowers per plant and per square meter (181.93 and 1631.00, respectively), weight of
single flower (8.88 g), flower yield per plant (1526.56 g) and flower yield per square meter (11.42 kg)
was found maximum when plants were treated with the foliar application of 5% Jeevamrit (at 15 days
interval) and 80% Inorganic fertilizer dose (30:20:20 g/m2 NPK). Additionally regarding the plant
physico-chemical properties, fertilizer treatment i.e. foliar application of 5% Jeevamrit (at 15 days
interval) and 80% Inorganic fertilizer dose (30:20:20 g/m2 NPK) also showed high nitrogen,
phosphorus and potassium (4.65%, 2.16% and 7.20%, respectively) and total chlorophyll content
(41.73 mg/100g) in the leaves of marigold plant. Moreover, for soil physico-chemical analysis high
nitrogen (403.47 kg/ha), phosphorus (41.88 kg/ha), potassium (342.45 kg/ha), organic carbon (1.50%)
and viable microbial count (110.67 x 105 cfu/g) in the soil were found under the treatment comprising
of drench application of 5% Jeevamrit (at 15 days interval) along with 80% Inorganic fertilizer dose
(30:20:20 g/m2 NPK). Further, foliar application of 2% Humic acid (at 15 days interval) in
combination with 80% Inorganic fertilizer dose (30:20:20 g/m2 NPK) was found to be superior in
terms of carotenoids content (163.33 mg/100g), total flavonoids (232.13 mg/100g), total polyphenols
(313.07 mg/100g) and antioxidant activity (87.87%) in flower petals. Earliness in flowering (81.61
days) and maximum shelf life of flowers (5.91 days) was also observed under this treatment. While
working out the benefit cost ratio, maximum B:C ratio (4.01:1) was calculated under the treatment
comprising of foliar application of 5% Jeevamrit (at 15 days interval) with 80% Inorganic fertilizer
dose (30:20:20 g/m2 NPK).