Effect of Integrated Nutrient Management on Growth and Flower Yield of African Marigold (Tagetes erecta L.)

The present investigation entitled Integrated Nutrient Management in African Marigold (Tagetes erecta L.) during 2015-16 at ASPEE Agriculture Research and Development Foundation, Tansa (Maharashtra). The experiment was laid out in Randomized Block Design with ten treatments with three replications. Maximum plant height (80.16 cm), during 4 th month after transplanting, No. of primary branches (16.25) and No. of secondary branches (25.50) were observed during 2 nd month after transplanting were recorded in treatment T10 (FYM @ 5 t/ha + 100% RDF (150:100:100 kg NPK/ ha) + Azotobacter + PSB + KMB + 1% foliar spray of NAUROJI Novel organic liquid fertilizer). Whereas the maximum total duration of flowering (77.37 days), flower diameter (6.86 cm), No. of flowers per plant (87.23), flower yield (396.42 g/plant and 11.36 t/ha), with flower longevity (7.27 days) and B:C ratio (3.20) were noted in treatment T10 (FYM @ 5 t/ha + 100% RDF (150:100:100 kg NPK/ ha) + Azotobacter + PSB + KMB + 1% foliar spray of NAUROJI Novel organic liquid fertilizer). Key word: African Marigold, Azotobacter, Phoshorus Solubilising Bacteria, Potash Mobilizing Bacteria, INM, NAUROJI Novel organic liquid fertilizer and foliar application. Research Article Cite this article: Patel, V.D. , Patel, G.D. , Desai, K.D. , Patel, D.J. and Mangave , B.D. , Effect of Integrated Nutrient Management on Growth and Flower Yield of African Marigold (Tagetes erecta L.), Int. J. Pure App. Biosci. 6(1): 568-572 (2018). doi: http://dx.doi. org/10.18782/2320-7051.5195 Patel et al Int. J. Pure App. Biosci. 6 (1): 568-572 (2018) ISSN: 2320 – 7051 Copyright © Jan.-Feb., 2018; IJPAB 569 Nutrient plays very important role for determining the growth and yielding ability of crop. But, the indiscriminate application of chemical fertilizers alter the soil fertility, leading to the pollution of soil and water bodies. There is big gap between demands, requirements of nutrients deriving food production and supply of nutrients through chemical fertilizers. This deficit will have to be met through supplementary and complementary use of organic and biological sources of nutrient in integrated nutrient management system. Biofertilizers are microbial inoculants of selective micro organisms like bacteria, algae, fungi which already have been existing in nature. They may help for improving soil fertility by the way of accelerating biological nitrogen fixation from atmosphere, solubilization of the insoluble nutrient in soil, generate little quantity of PGRs decomposing plant residues and stimulating plant growth and production. Keeping the above fact in view, the present investigation has been carried out to find the suitable INM treatment to get maximum vegetative growth, flowering quality and yield of African marigold. MATERIALS AND METHODS The present investigation was carried out at ASPEE Agriculture Research and Development Foundation, Tansa (Maharashtra) during 2015-16. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Block Design with three replication and ten treatments viz. T1 100% recommended dose of chemical fertilizer (RDF) @ 150:100:100 kg NPK per ha (without FYM), T2 FYM @ 5 t/ha + 100% RDF (150:100:100 kg NPK/ ha), T3 FYM @ 5 t/ha + 75% RDF (112.5:75:75 kg NPK/ ha), T4 FYM @ 10 t/ha + 50% RDF (75:50:50 75 kg NPK/ ha), T5 T1 + Azotobacter + PSB + KMB, T6 -T2 + Azotobacter + PSB + KMB, T7 T3 + Azotobacter + PSB + KMB, T8 T4 + Azotobacter + PSB + KMB, T9 T1 + 1 % foliar spray of NAUROJI Novel organic liquid fertilizer, T10 T6 + 1 % foliar spray of NAUROJI Novel organic liquid fertilizer. Application of FYM in plot at time of land preparation according to the treatment and the bio-fertilizers viz. Azotobactor, Phosphorus Solubilising Bacteria and Potash Mobilizing Bacteria applied through slurry method at time of transplanting in plot according to the treatment. Slurry was prepared by each biofertilizer (2.0 l/ha) mixed with FYM (300 kg/ha). Furthermore, foliar application NAUROJI Novel organic liquid fertilizer at 45 day after transplanting (DATP). Chemical fertilizers N, P and K were applied @ 150, 100, and 100 kg/ha respectively in African marigold. Phosphorus and potash were applied as basal dose uniformly to all the plots at rate of 100 kg/ha according to treatment 10 Days after transplanting. Nitrogen was applied in two splits. Half of N was applied with basal dose and remaining half dose was applied on 30 day after transplanting. Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potash were applied in the form of Urea, Single Super Phosphate and Murate of Potash, respectively. The cultural practices like irrigation, hoeing and weeding, plant protection measures were done as required by the crop time. The vegetative parameters and flowering parameters were recorded the period of crop. The obtained data were analyzed statistically using standard method as suggested by Panse and Sukhatme 7 . RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Various vegetative parameters, Flowering quality and yield parameters were enhanced by Integrated Nutrient Management. The salient features of results are given below with appropriate discussion. Vegetative parameters It is revealed form the data presented in Table 1 that treatment T10 (FYM @ 5t/ha + 100% RDF (150:100:100 kg NPK/ ha) + Azotobacter + PSB + KMB + 1% foliar spray of NAUROJI Novel organic liquid fertilizer) gave the maximum vegetative growth in case of plant height (80.16 cm) during 4 th month after transplanting as well as No. of primary branches per plant (16.25) and No. of secondary branches per plant (25.50) during 2 nd month after transplanting. This might be due to Patel et al Int. J. Pure App. Biosci. 6 (1): 568-572 (2018) ISSN: 2320 – 7051 Copyright © Jan.-Feb., 2018; IJPAB 570 high physiological activity synchronized with maximum nutrient convert in available form and increase the micro-flora due to incorporate of FYM in soil and Biofertilizer (Azotobacter, PSB and KMB) may enhance microbial activity may lead to proper utilization of supplied nutrient to the plants 1,6 . Similarly, INM may promote vegetative growth by increasing both the photosynthetic activity as well as area 10 . Photosynthetic activity is improved by increasing chlorophyll in cell whereas, photosynthetic area may enhance number of branches 12 . NAUROJI Novel organic liquid fertilizer contain major and micronutrient as well as plant hormone like GA3 and cytokinin which enhanced plant height 5 which is sufficient for better performances. Flowering parameters The experiment results revealed that the flowering yield and longevity of flower significantly influenced due to Integrated Nutrient Management. Significantly maximum total duration of flowering (77.37 days) flower diameter (6.86 cm), No. of flowers per plant (87.23), flower yield per plant (396.42 g) as well as per ha (11.36 t) and flower longevity (7.27 days) were recorded with application FYM @ 5 t/ha + 100% RDF (150:100:100 kg NPK/ ha) + Azotobacter + PSB + KMB + 1% foliar spray of NAUROJI Novel organic liquid fertilizer (T10). This might be attributed to better nutrient uptake, higher photosynthesis, source to sink relationship, besides excellent physiological and biological activities due to presence of helpful micro-flora in FYM and biofertilizers 4,11 . NAUROJI Novel organic liquid fertilizer increased the flower yield due to high amount of Potash moderate level of N, P, Ca, Mg, S, Zn and B with GA3, cytokinin, Amino acid and phenol. Similar kind of trends were noticed in papaya under South Gujarat condition 2 . Thus, the synchronized effect of all INM strategies enhance the flower yield 3,9 in