Vol. 7, Issue 5 (2018)

Author(s):
Tushar Ghosh, Tapas Kumar Chowdhuri and Raghunath Sadhukhan

Abstract:
The present experiment was conducted to study the effect of different doses of fertilizer on growth and flowering of African marigold (Tagetes eracta L. cv. Seracole). The present investigation was carried out under All India Coordinated Research Project on Floriculture, at Horticultural Research Station, Mondouri, Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Nadia, West Bengal, India during winter season of the year 2015-16. The experimental results revealed that combination dose of 75% Water Soluble Fertilizer + 25% Straight Fertilizer (T₄) showed maximum stem girth (1.30 cm), duration of flowering (56.67 days), number of flowers per plant (48.00), yield of flower per plant (478.33 g), yield of flower per hector (358.70 q) and minimum number of days taken to first flower bud appearance (41.67 days). The maximum plant height (35.53 cm) and plant spread (N-S: 39.13 cm and E-W: 49.20 cm) were recorded in 50% Water Soluble Fertilizer + 50% Straight Fertilizer (T₅). The treatment 125% of Water Soluble Fertilizer (T₃) showed maximum number of primary branches/plant (9.33), diameter of flower (7.33 cm) and pedicel length (5.33 cm). The application of T₄ and T₅ were found more effective regarding vegetative and flowering attributes in comparison to individual application of Straight Fertilizer or Water Soluble fertilizer.