Effect of integrated weed management on quality and flower yield of African marigold (Tagetes erecta L.)

Abstract

The present investigation entitled “Integrated weed management in African marigold (Tagetes erecta L.)” was conducted during summer 2017 at ASPEE college of Horticulture and Forestry, NAU, Navsari (Gujarat). The experiment was laid out in Randomized Block Design with twelve treatments along with three replications. Maximum plant height (67.77 and 104.33 cm), plant spread 33.60 and 46.07 cm in North-South and 52.67, 64.47 cm in East-West direction, number of primary branches (6.53 and 9.47) and number of secondary branches (11.27 and 14.40) during 60 DATP and at final harvest were recorded in treatment T6 (Pendimethalin 1.0 kg/ha as PE + IC & HW both at 20 DATP + Organic mulching). Moreover the minimum days (43.40) taken to first flower open, maximum flowering duration (61.80 days), flower diameter (6.54 cm), number of flower per plant (69.73), flower yield (555.60 g/plant and 9.75 t/ha) were noted in treatment T6 (Pendimethalin 1.0 kg/ha as PE + IC & HW both at 20 DATP + Organic mulching) and weed index on the basis of best flower yielded treatments T6 and T10 recorded lower weed index (6.95%).