Influence of different mulches on the growth and development of pot marigold (Calendula officinalis L.) varieties

Introduction

In the absence of vegetation, the planet would lack its current visual appeal and attractiveness. The cultivation and trade of ornamental plants and flowers are integral to the global horticulture industry. Floriculture significantly contributes to aesthetic, economic, and environmental wellbeing. In India, the area dedicated to flower production spans approximately 322 thousand hectares, yielding a total production of 2980 metric tons (Anonymous, 2021) [3] . Flower cultivation encompasses the growth and marketing of flowering and ornamental plants. Calendula (Calendula officinalis L.), belonging to the order Asterales and the family Asteraceae, derives its genus name from the Latin term "Calendae," meaning 'first day of each month.' The genus comprises 29 species, including Calendula officinalis L., which is herbaceous and extensively cultivated in various countries for ornamental, medicinal, and cosmetic applications. Calendula originated in the Mediterranean Sea region (Ullah et al., 2024) [14] . The cultivation of diverse varieties enables growers to optimize production across different agroclimatic conditions. Each variety possesses unique genetic traits that determine its growth habit, flowering time, resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses, and post-harvest performance (Bose et al., 2017) [5] . Mulching is a key agronomic practice in horticulture that involves covering the soil surface around plants with organic or inorganic materials, such as straw, dry grass, plastic films, leaves, or crop residues. The use of mulches influences the soil microenvironment by regulating soil temperature, conserving moisture, suppressing weeds, and improving nutrient availability to plants. These changes can significantly affect plant physiology, growth rate, biomass accumulation, flowering initiation and duration, and final yield (Wagan et al., 2022) [15] .

Materials and Methods

The present study is titled "Influence of different mulches on the growth and development of Pot Marigold (Calendula officinalis L.) varieties." The experiment was conducted under field conditions to study the effect of the application of various mulches on different varieties of pot marigold (Calendula officinalis L.). The following headings and subheadings describe the various methods, techniques, materials, and observations that were performed throughout the experimental period.

Experimental Details

A Factorial Randomized Block Design (FRBD) was used to assess the effects of various mulches on the growth, flowering, and yield of different varieties of pot marigold. Fifteen treatments with two factors (factor 1: variety and factor 2: mulch) were randomly assigned to ensure uniformity of the results. All the whole lot of seedlings were randomized and divided into 45 plots.

Details of Experimental Treatments Factor

Observations Recorded

Growth parameters: Plant height, number of leaves, and plant spread were measured 30, 60, and 90 days after transplanting.

Statistical Analysis

Data were collected from various observations recorded in the field and the laboratory. The experimental design was a randomized block design with a factorial concept. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) of the outcome on various attributes of the characters of the pot marigold is provided in the Appendix.

3 Results and Discussion 3.1 Results

The data obtained on the effect of various mulches on plant height in different varieties are presented in Table 2, and their interaction effects are presented in Table 3 [10] , (Mohammed, 2025) [11] and (Naik et al., 2017) [12] .

The data obtained on the effect of various mulches on plant spread in different varieties are presented in Table 2, and their interaction effects are presented in Table 3 and Graph 2. Plant spread was measured at its maximum (31.8 cm) in V 1 M 4 and minimum (20 cm) in V 3 M 3, 30 days after transplanting. After 60 days of transplanting, the maximum plant spread was measured (43.2 cm) in V 1 M 4 and minimum (29.3) in V 2 M 2 . After 90 days of transplanting, the maximum plant spread was measured (58.7 cm) in V 2 M 4 and the minimum (42.6 cm) in V 2 M 2 . Similar findings (Dhiman et al., 2024) [6] and (Blazewicz et al., 2021) [4] .

Number of leaves

The data obtained on the effect of various mulches on plant spread in different varieties are presented in Table 2, and their interaction effects are presented in Table 3 and Graph 3. The number of leaves was measured at its maximum (27.4 cm) in V 1 M 4 and minimum (17.7 cm) in V 2 M 0, 30 days after transplanting. After 60 days of transplanting, the maximum number of leaves measured (50.8 cm) was in V 1 M 4 and the minimum (34.4) was in V 3 M 0 .

After 90 days of transplanting, the maximum number of leaves measured (76.5 cm) was in V 1 M 4 and the minimum (42.7cm) was in V 2 M 0 . Similar findings (Dhiman et al., 2024) [6] , (Thakur et al., 2019) [13] , (Ding et al., 2024) [7] and (Adamovic et al., 2023) [1] .

Discussion

These findings indicate that specific interactions between mulch types and plant varieties significantly affect the vegetative growth parameters of pot marigolds. The M 4 mulch treatment consistently emerged as the most effective throughout the 90-day observation period, although its optimal impact varied with the plant variety. The combination of V 2 M 4 resulted in the tallest plants, reaching up to 49.7 cm, whereas V 2 M 4 produced the widest spread at 58.7 cm and the highest leaf count at 76.4cm. In contrast, unmulched controls (M 0 ) consistently demonstrated the poorest growth. Consequently, cultivators can employ M 4 mulch with variety 2 to enhance plant height or with variety 1 to achieve broader and bushier plants.

Conclusion

This study concluded that polyethylene mulch significantly optimizes the growth and development of pot marigold (Calendula officinalis L.) varieties. Specifically, combining polyethylene mulch with variety (Fiesta Gitana white) maximized plant height, while using it with the Variety (Fiesta Gitana yellow) variety produced the greatest plant spread and number of leaves.

References

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