STUDIES ON APPLICATION OF NATURAL FARMING MODULES ON FLOWERING AND SEED PRODUCTION OF AFRICAN MARIGOLD (Tagetes erecta L.)
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Date
2020-10
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NAUNI,UHF
Abstract
ABSTRACT
The present investigation titled, “Studies on application of natural farming modules on
flowering and seed production of African marigold (Tagetes erecta L.)” was carried out at the Khaltoo
experimental farm of Department of Seed Science and Technology, Dr YS Parmar University of
Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, Solan (HP)-173 230 during 2018 and 2019 so as to find out a suitable
treatment module for obtaining better plant growth, flowering, seed yield and quality of African marigold
with higher benefit: cost ratio. The treatment modules comprising different doses of Jeevamrit applied as
drench (25ml/m2, 50ml/m2, 75ml/m2 and 100 ml/m2) and as foliar spray (5%, 10%, 15% & 20%) at 15 days
interval, alternatively + Brahmastra @ 2.5 % and Neemastra @ 2.5 % at 7 days interval, alternatively
along with RDF, untreated control and an organic module based on Trichoderma viride. The field
experiment was conducted in Randomized Block Design (RBD) with 19 treatment replicated thrice and the
laboratory investigations were carried out with four replications. Although, maximum values for plant
height (102.73 cm), plant spread (47.17 cm), number of branches per plant (14.44), number of flowers per
plant (53.80) diameter of flower (6.45 cm), number of seeds per capitulum (268.12), seed yield per plant
(14.74 g), seed yield per plot (176.90 g), seed yield per hectare (327.59 kg), 1000 seed weight (2.56 g),
seed germination (85.13 %), seedling length (12.66 cm), seedling fresh weight (0.55 g), seedling dry
weight (7.78 mg), SVI-I (1077.68), SVI-II (662.55) and lowest seed EC (0.93 dS/m), available NPK
(454.30 kg/ha, 87.54 kg/ha and 434.74 kg/ha, respectively) were recorded in M18, but found to be
statistically at par with the treatment module M16, M12 and M15 including M17. The treatment module M16
has also exhibited highest viable microbial count i.e. bacteria (119.17 × 105 cfu/g soil), fungi (17.33 × 103
cfu/g soil) and actinomycetes (14.00 × 102 cfu/g soil) as well as maximum benefit: cost ratio (3.69:1).
However, the minimum values w.r.t. plant growth, flowering, seed yield and seed quality parameters as
well as for other characters under study were recorded in the untreated control (M19). Hence, the treatment
module M16 comprising drenching with Jeevamrit @ 100 ml/m2 + foliar application of Jeevamrit @ 20 %
at 15 days interval + Neemastra @ 2.5 % and Brahmastra @ 2.5 % at 7 days intervals, alternatively can be
recommended for commercial seed production of African marigold to obtain higher benefit: cost ratio