INTRODUCTION:
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Marigold belongs to family Asteraceae, is one of the most popular flower crop grown across the country for loose flowers, landscape gardening and pot plants. The flowers are suitable for making garlands, floral decorations and are sold in the market as loose flowers.Although, African and French both are used as loose flowers, African marigold is commercially highly popular as loose flowers and has more application in garlands and decor. Owing to thedwarfness& profuse flowering habit, french marigold is most ideal for landscape gardening specially for rockery, edging, hanging baskets, window boxes. The price of marigold depends upon market demand & supply. Specially in months of October November during festivals like Deewali, Navratri and Summer, this crop gives remunerative prices to growers.
SOIL AND CLIMATIC:
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Well drained, fertile, friable having well water holding capacity and near to neutral in reaction with pH range of 7.0 to 7.5 is most desirable. An ideal soil for marigold cultivation is fertile sandy loam.
It can be grown in various types of climates almost round the year except during cold winters as the plants are likely to get damaged by frost. On the other hand high temperatures adversely affect flower quantity and quality.
VARIETIES:
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There are 33 species of marigold and number of varieties. The important species and varieties are as under:
1) African marigold (Tageteserecta):
It is originated to Mexico and produce tall plants (up to 100 cm) which produce big flowers and also widely grown in country. Flower colour varies from lemon yellow to yellow, golden yellow or orange. Some of the varieties are: PusaBasantiGainda, PusaNarangiGainda, Giant Double African Orange, Giant Double African Yellow, Cracker Jack, Climax, Dubloon, Golden Age, Chrysanthemum Charm, Crown of Gold and Spun Gold.
2) French marigold (Tagetespatula):
French marigolds are also known as dwarf marigolds. The flowers colour varies from yellow to mahogany-red. Some of the varieties are: PusaArpita, Red Brocade, Rusty Red, Butter Scotch, Valencia, Sussana, Harmony Boy, Red-Marietta Harmony, Royal Bengal, Queen Sophia and Tangerine.
3) Interspecific hybrids:
“Nugget” with yellow flowers is the most recent interspecific triploid hybrid developed in the U.S.A.
PLANTING DETAILS:
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Land should be leveled, free from weeds and water stagnation conditions. It should be ploughed 2 to 3 times to bring the soil to a fine tilth and be divided into small beds to facilitate irrigation and intercultural operations. Transplanting in rainy season should be done on ridges and raised beds, while in summer and winter it is done on raised and flat beds.
Nursery Raising
Marigold is generally propagated by seeds. Seed rate for marigold is required around 1.5 kg/ha and takes about 7 days for germination. Seeds can be sown in nursery beds are prepared by incorporating 8-10 kg of well decomposed farmyard manure in per one m2 area. The length width and height of the seedbed should be around 1.2 m, 3 m and 15 cm, respectively. It can also be propagated by about 6-10 cm sized tip cuttings but it is not common.
Sowing and transplanting
Marigold can be raised can be raised thrice a year- rainy, winter and summer seasons, for rainy season seed sowing should be done in mid-junetransplanting in mid-july, in Winter seed sowing in mid-augusttransplanting in mid-september and for summer mid-januarytransplanting mid- february
Marigold seedlings easily establish after transplanting in the field with minimum mortality. When seedlings attained 3-4 true leaves with stronger main stem at about one month are ready for transplanting. Seedlings should be transplanted in well-prepared land in the evening hours (especially during rainy and summer seasons) to avoid the shock of high temperature, which allows better establishment in cool hours of night. Soil should be pressed well around root zone so that there are no air pockets left. A light irrigation is essential just after transplanting.Transplanting is done at 40 x 40 cm for african marigold and 30 x 20 cm for french marigold
NUTRITION MANAGEMENT:
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Farmyard yard manure at 15t/ha should be applied during land preparation. Marigold requires 100-160 kg N (Nitrogen), 150 kg P (Phosphorus) and 150 kg K (Potash) per hectare. Half dose of the nitrogen, full dose of phosphorus and potash should be applied as basal dose and remaining half nitrogen at after one month of transplanting.
WATER MANAGEMENT:
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Irrigate the crop once in 4-7 days; it depends upon soil moisture and weather conditions. Weeding is done manually and 3-4 weedings are required during the entire crop growth period. As manual weeding increases cost of cultivation, pre-plant application of Pendimethalin @ 1.0 kg per ha is helpful to suppress weeds.
CROP REGULATION:
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Pinching of marigold plants
Pinching is very important practice in African marigold. It breaks apical dominance and promotes laterals, increases number of flowers and yield.
Result of studies on pinching revealed that the pinching the plants 40 days after transplanting enabled the plant to yield more flowers. However, the plants remained dwarf and flowering was delayed in comparison to late pinching i.e. 50 or 60 days after transplanting sb.
PEST AND DISEASE MANAGEMENT:
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Management of insects
Red spider mite:
Crop when infected by Spider mite, mite colonies can be seen on lower surface of leaves which are covered by dirty webs. Plants give dusty appearance. It is common in late winter, summer and early winter crop. It can be controlled by spraying of Dicofol 18.5 EC at 2.5 ml/l or Kalthane.
Aphids (Aphis gossypii):
Aphids are common in winter season and mainly infest growing tips and floral parts. Nymphs and adults suck the sap from growing parts and the plants give a sickly appearance. It can be controlled by 2-3 sprays of Dimethoate 30 EC @ 2 ml/l.
Management of diseases:
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Damping off:
It is caused by Rhizoctoniasolani , can be controlled by seed treatment and soil drenching with Brassicol (0.3%) at nursery stage. Proper drainage should be provided in the nursery bed.
Leaf spot & blight:
It can be controlled by spray of dithane M-45 fungicide @ 0.2% at fortnight intervals starting from the first appearance of disease symptoms.
Inflorescence blight: Controlled by spraying with mancozeb(0.2%)
Flower bud rots: Controlled by spraying the crop dithane M-45(0.2%).
Powdery mildew:
This disease can be controlled by spraying with Kerathane (40EC) @ 0.5% or dusting with sulphur powder for nightly intervals.
YIELD AND POSTHARVEST MANAGEMENT:
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Flower last longer if the field is irrigated before one day of flower plucking. Flowers are harvested at fully opened stage and Harvesting of flowers should be done either in cool hours either in the morning or evening. Flower yield depends upon season, type and variety of planting and cultural practices adopted. Harvesting duration depends on variety also on an average a fresh flower yield of 20.0 to22.5 t/ha during rainy season, 15.0 to 17.5 t/ha in winter and 10.0 to12.0 t/ha in summer can be obtained in African marigold. French marigold gives 8-12 t flowers/ha.
