Effect of harvest stage on biomass and oil yield in different parts of Tagetes minuta L.

Abstract

Growth and development studies in MAP have emerged as important sources of useful information for optimizing their harvesting stages. The economic utility of any MAP crop is governed by the quantum of the usable part and the active content. These studies become more important in such species where more than one plant part is the economic part yielding similar end product. Studies were conducted at monthly intervals during the growing period of its plants and the results suggested that Tagetes minuta can be harvested either at pre flowering stage (characterized by maximum leaf biomass) for getting leaf oil or at full flowering stage (characterized by negligible leaf biomass but maximum flower biomass) for getting flower oil.