Effect of Integrated System of Plant Nutrition Management on Growth, Yield and Flower Quality of African Marigold (tagetes Erecta l.) Cv. PUSA NARANGI

A field experiment was conducted on the ffect of integrated nutrient management on African marigold (Tagetes erecta L.) cv. PUSA NARANGI was conducted at Lal baug farm, Department of Horticulture, Junagadh Agricultural University, Junagadh during winter season of two consecutive years i.e. 2011 and 2012. In which 70% RDF + 2 t ha-1 vermicompost + Azotobacter + Azospirillium + PSB significantly improved growth parameters viz., plant height at full bloom stage (115.45 cm), number of primary branches per plant at full bloom stage (28.06). 60% RDF + 3 t ha-1 vermicompost + Azotobacter + Azospirillium + PSB significantly improved flowering parameters viz., the shortest number of days taken to first flower open (53.72 days) and number of picking (9.12) and the shortest number of days taken for 50% flowering (59.50 days). The maximum diameter of flower (7.30 cm) recorded with treatment 70% RDF + 2 t ha-1 vermicompost + Azotobacter + Azospirillium + PSB. The longest duration of flowering (61.14 days), was recorded in 70% RDF + 2 t ha-1 vermicompost + Azospirillium + PSB. The treatment 70% RDF + 2 t ha-1 vermicompost + Azotobacter + Azospirillium + PSB significantly gave higher yield parameters viz., flower yield per plant (376.57) and flower yield per hectare (185.65 qha-1). Quality parameters viz., shelf life of flower was significantly highest (4.95 days) in treatment 200kg N/ha + 100kg P2O5/ha + 100kg K2O/ha + 15 t ha-1 FYM (RDF).