Effect of Different Doses of Cycocel and Maleic Hydrazide on Growth and Flower Yield of African Marigold (Tagetes Erecta L.) Cv. Pusa Narangi Gainda

Abstract

An experiment was carried out to access the effect of different doses of Cycocel and Maleic hydrazide on growth and flower yield of African marigold (Tagetes erecta L.) at Horticultural Research Centre (HRC), Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel University of Agriculture and Technology, Modipuram, Meerut, Uttar Pradesh during the year 2019-2020. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Block Design (RBD) with nine treatments and three replications. Treatment details were T1 (Control), T2 (Cycocel @ 700 ppm), T3 (Cycocel @ 800 ppm), T4 (Cycocel @ 900 ppm), T5 (Cycocel @ 1000 ppm) T6 (MH @ 100 ppm), T7 (MH @ 150 ppm), T8 (MH @ 200 ppm) and T9 (MH @ 250 ppm) 25 DAT. The results indicated that among the treatments, minimum plant height (57.03 cm), plant spread of east to west (45.17 cm), plant spread north to south (46.40 cm), number of branches per plant (37.61), and minimum value exhibited by control. Days taken to first flower bud initiation (54.60 days), days taken to opening of first flower (67.21 days), days taken to opening of 50% flowering (83.72 days), duration of flowering (78.22 days), weight of flower (11.73 g), number of flowers per plant (45.71), yield of flower per plant (414.63 g), yield of flower per plot (6188.00 g), highest yield of flower per hectare (23.80 t/ha) were recorded when the plants were sprayed with T9 (MH 250 ppm @ 25 DAT), while maximum reduction in flower yield and also in delay flowering by control. Hence, MH 250 ppm was found to be optimum dose as well as in economic. Similarly, Cycocel at 1000 ppm increased the flower yield, flower size, plant spread, and number of branches, whereas, reduction in plant height as well as delayed the flowering as compared to other treatments.