Effect of biostimulants on growth, flower yield and quality of marigold (Tagetes patula L.)

Introduction

French marigold (Tagetes patula L.) is one of the most popular ornamental plants in the horticulture industry, being used for planting and shaping beds, as potted flowers (dwarf varieties), and as cut flowers (tall varieties). It is a widely grown plant in gardens and pots, used for rockery, edging, hanging baskets and window boxes. highly suitable as a bedding plant, herbaceous border and shrubberies to provide color and to fill the space (Choudhary et al. 2014) [2] . Leaf extract is a successful treatment for earache. Flower extract is an effective blood purifier and treatment for blood piles, ulcers, and eye problems. Marigold plants' leaves have a characteristic odoriferous eel. Essential oil of marigold is widely used in perfumery industries. The oil contains bronchodilating, transquilizing, anti-inflammatory, and juvenile hormone properties, as well as insect repellent properties against flies, ants, and mosquitos. The term bio-fertilizer has been coined to include soil micro-organism which fix nitrogen, mobilize or conserve plant nutrients. The term bio-fertilizers or microbial inoculants can be define as the preparations containing strains of micro-organism which can augment the mcrobiological process viz. nitrogen fixation, phosphate solubilisation or mineraliztion, extraction of plant growth promoting substances or cellulose or lignin biodegradation in soil, compost or other environment.

Materials and Methods

The experiment was conducted at Horticulture Research and Instructional Farm, Department of Horticulture, Indira Gandhi Krishi Vishwavidyalaya, Raipur (C.G.) during the year 2023-24. The experiment was laid out in Completely Randomized Design with three replications comprising ten treatments viz. T 1 control, T 2 Trichoderma @ 10 ml, T 3 Pseudomonas @ 10 ml/ T 4 PSB (Phosphorus Solublizing Bacteria) @ 10 ml, T 5 Azotobacter @ 10 ml, T 6 Azospirillum @ 10 ml, T 7 Trichoderma @ 10 ml + Pseudomonas @ 10 ml, T 8 Trichoderma @ 10 ml + Azotobacter @ 10 ml, T 9 Trichoderma @ 10 ml + Azospirillum @ 10 ml, T 10 Trichoderma @ 10 ml + PSB @ 10 ml + Pseudomonas @ 10 ml. The application of biofertilizers in marigold through cutting dip treatment up to 25 minutes of various biostimulants and its combination at the time of transplanting in T 2 , T 3 , T 5 , T 6 , T 7 , T 8 , T 9 ,and T 10 . Seedling treatments. and use some cultural practices like irrigations , weeding and plant protection among all treatments.

Results and Discussion Vegetative Growth Parameters

The different biostimulants affected various vegetative parameters of French marigold (Table 1). The treatment T 10 Trichoderma @ 10 ml + PSB @ 10 ml + Pseudomonas @ 10 ml. had the maximum plant height (45.86 cm), number of primary branches/plant (22.95) and number of secondary branches/plant (39.66), plant spread (34.26 cm). Biostimulants like Azotobactor and PSB may have been beneficial by fixing atmospheric nitrogen and solubilizing fixed phosphorous in the soil, making it available to plants, and also by secretion of growth substances like auxin which might have stimulated plant metabolic activity and photosynthetic efficacy leading to better growth and development. These results are in conformity with the findings of Mittal et al. 2010 [5] and Mohanty et al.in marigold. [9] in African marigold. Treatment T 10 resulted in maximum Number of flower per plant (50.66) which was at par T 7 (49.00) whereas, T 1 was reported for minimum (27.66). The effect of China aster (Callistephus chinensis (L.) on Applying 50% recommended NPK, vermicompost, Azospirillum, and PSB led to the highest flower output (11.71 t/ha) and number of flowers per plant (46.60).examined Chaitra and Patil's 2007 [1] Data clearly showed that T 10 resulted in greater diameter of flower (3.73 cm) followed by T 9 (3.29 cm) while, control plants recorded minimum diameter of flower (2.07 cm). The increase in flower diameter. The current results with marigold are comparable to those of Sharma et al. [7] and Gupta et al. 1999 [3] With PSB applied, the flower's maximum diameter of 6.18 cm was achieved.

The maximum average weight of flower per plant of (2.72) was recorded in treatment T 10, followed by treatment T 7 (2.62) The minimum (1.31) average weight of flower per plant was noticed in T 1 (control).Maximum duration of flowering (57.07days) was recorded under T 10 followed by T 7 (days) whereas, minimum duration of flowering (38.91days) was observed with T 1 . Maximum flower longevity (42.74 days) which results in earlier flower initiation and longer blossom duration.In petunia, Mina Zarghami Moghadam et al. (2013) [6] observed the similar outcome. The maximum flower yield was observed T 10 (137.0) followed by treatment T 7 (137.0).Were as minimum flower yield (36.23) was observed in T 1 (control).which results the increase in flower yield, as they were suitable for growth and yield (Kumar et al 2009) [4] .

Root growth characters

The data on flowering traits are presented in Table 3. It is clearly showing that The different biostimulants affected of root growth charactors on rench marigold. The treatment T 10 Trichoderma @ 10 ml + PSB @ 10 ml + Pseudomonas @ 10 ml had the maximum on total number of roots (77.69) which was followed by T 7 (64.36) Were as minimum total number of roots (30.32) was observed in T 1 (control). The maximum on length of longest root T 10 (35.60 cm) which was followed by T 7 (30.41 cm) Were as minimum length of longest root (12.07 cm) was observed in T 1 (control).

T 10 treatment had the maximum fresh root weight (7.65) .which was statistically at par with T 7 (7.49 g) were as minimum fresh root weight (6.15g) was observed in T 1 (control). The maximum dry root weight was observed T 10 (3.56) followed by treatment T 7 with (3.40). Were as minimum dry root weight (2.11) was observed in T 1 (control). Which results On Trichoderma harzianum addition shown greater root growth. Further, root fresh and dry weights were continuously raised in comparison to the control group and rice seedling shoot dry weight was improved (Sivalingam et al. 2007) [8] .

Conclusion

The results showed that T 10 Trichoderma @ 10 ml + PSB @ 10 ml + Pseudomonas @ 10 ml was noted to be the best amongst all the treatments to better vegetative growth, flowering yield and root growth of French Marigold. The application of biostimulants can ensure the production of high-quality ornamental plants by increasing the resilience of plants to temperature stress and improving the uptake of nutrients.

References

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