Effect of humic acid and salicylic acid on growth, flowering and yield of French-marigold cv. Pusa Arpita under the climatic conditions of western Uttar Pradesh

Abstract

The present study was conducted at the Horticulture Research Block, Janta Vedic College, Baraut, to evaluate the effect of foliar application of Humic Acid and Salicylic Acid on the growth and yield attributes of French Marigold (Tagetes patula L.) cv. Pusa Arpita under Western Uttar Pradesh conditions. The experiment was laid out in a Randomized Block Design (RBD) with nine treatments, including a control, and replicated three times. The treatments significantly influenced plant height, branching pattern, number of leaves, flowering parameters, and flower yield per plant. Among the treatments, T7 (Humic acid 1000 ppm + Salicylic acid 150 ppm) recorded the maximum plant height (54.00 cm), number of primary (16.17) and secondary branches (26.67), maximum number of leaves (257.00) and flower yield (182.33 flowers/plant). The earliest first bud initiation (53.17 days) and full bloom (76.33 days) were also observed in T7, whereas the control (T0) showed the lowest values across all parameters. The results indicate that the combined application of Humic Acid (1000 ppm) and Salicylic Acid (150 ppm) significantly enhances vegetative growth, flowering, and overall yield in French Marigold, suggesting that an integrated foliar application of Humic and Salicylic Acids could be a viable strategy for improving marigold production under Western Uttar Pradesh conditions.