Laishram, NomitaGurjar, Amita2022-10-252022-10-252022-10Preferred for your work.Gurjar, A. 2022.Studies on Value Addition in Marigold (Tagetes erecta L.) and Chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum morifolium Ramat.). M.Sc. Sher-e Kashmir university of agricultural Sciences and technology -jammu36923https://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/5810189366The present investigation entitled “Studies on Value Addition in Marigold (Tagetes erecta L.) and Chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum morifolium Ramat.)” was carried out in the Division of Vegetable Science and Floriculture, Faculty of Agriculture, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Jammu. The research was conducted with the aim of determining the most effective pre dryingpreservative treatments and most appropriate drying method for marigold and chrysanthemum flowers. In this study, flowers of marigold cv. Pusa Narangi Gainda and chrysanthemum cv. Baggi were subjected to four different chemical pre-drying treatments, comprising of P0(control), P1(2% citric acid), P2(10% MgCl2), P3(1:3 glycerol: water) and five different drying techniques, viz., D0(air drying), D1(silica gel + hot air oven), D2(silica gel + microwave oven), D3(Borax + hot air oven) and D4(Borax + microwave oven), replicated thrice and analysed using factorial Completely Randomized Design. Results revealed that maximum dry flower weight (1.55 g and 0.83g), minimum percent moisture loss (78.89 % and 67.45 %), maximum dry flower diameter(4.64 cm and 4.24 cm), lowest diameter reduction(1.38 cm and 0.37 cm), minimum drying time(77.66 hr. and 71.43hr.), maximum score for colour(2.82 and 3.82), texture(2.64 and 2.76), shape(3.60 and 3.65), non-shattering of petals(3.84 and 3.87) and overall acceptability(3.62 and 3.64) were achieved in marigold and chrysanthemum respectively after pre-drying treatment with 1:3 glycerol:water for 24 hr. Silica gel embedded flowers dried in hot air oven resulted in less reduction in diameter(1.14 cm and 0.20 cm) and maximum score for colour(4.00 and 4.39), texture(4.10 and 4.18), shape(4.23 and 4.30), non-shattering of petals(4.18 and 4.20) and overall acceptability(4.55 and 4.54)in marigold and chrysanthemum respectively. Among the interaction effect,pre-treatment of glycerol: water (1: 3) and drying method (silica gel + hot air oven) showed the least amount of diameter reduction(0.97 cm and 0.23 cm) and maximum scores for colour(4.30 and 4.75), texture(4.50 and 4.60), shape(4.50 and 4.60), non-shattering of petals(4.50 and 4.55) and overall acceptability (4.80 and 4.75) for marigold and chrysanthemum respectively. Flowers dried in microwave oven with either of the desiccant used, took least time to dryrecording 0.16 hr. and 0.10 hr. in marigold and chrysanthemum respectively.Air dried flowers without embedding recorded the least dry flower weight (0.74g and 0.46g), maximum percent moisture loss (90.14% and 82.44%), minimum dry flower diameter (3.10cm and 3.57 cm)and largest diameter reduction (2.94 cm and 1.00 cm)in marigold and chrysanthemum respectively. However, air drying took longest drying time (352.33 hr. and 328.93 hr.) and also yielded unacceptable dried flower with minimum scores for colour(1.20 and 2.70), texture (1.28 and 1.35), shape (1.93 and 1.95) and minimum score for overall acceptability (2.30 and 2.35) inmarigold and chrysanthemum respectively.EnglishThesis