Vol. 11, Issue 6 (2022)

Author(s):
Megha C, Munikrishnappa PM, Manjunath Ramanna, Dhananjaya BN and Amreen Taj

Abstract:
A field experiment entitled “Effect of biofertilizers on growth, flower yield and quality of marigold (Tagetes erecta L.) cv. Arka Bangara 2”was conducted in the research block of Department of Floriculture and Landscape Architecture, College of Horticulture, Bengaluru, during the rabi season from September 2020 to December 2020. The experimental material consisted four different bio-fertilizers viz., Azotobacter, Phosphate Solubilizing Bacteria, Potassium Solubilizing Bacteria and Arbuscular Mycorrhiza which were evaluated for growth, yield and quality parameters. The experiment consisted of 9 different treatments laid out in Randomized Complete Block Design with three replications. The maximum increase in vegetative growth parameters like plant height, number of primary branches per plant, leaf area, stem girth were recorded in T₅ (100% NPK + Azotobacter + PSB + AM fungi + KSB). Whereas, the maximum flowering and yield parameters like days to first flowering, duration of flowering (days), days to 50 per cent flowering, number of flowers per plant, average weight of flower including flowering yield per plant and flower yield per hectare and also quality parameters like xanthophyll content and shelf life were recorded in T₉ (75% NPK + Azotobacter + PSB + AM fungi + KSB) among different treatments of biofertilizers.