UNIT 2 - CHAPTER 2 - MARIGOLD

UNIT 2 - CHAPTER 2

MARIGOLD

 (Scientific name: Tagetes spp.)
Family: Asteraceae

     Marigold is a popular annual flower that can be grown on a commercial scale. This plant is native to Mexico

Importance

Ø  Marigold is one of the most commonly flowers for garden decorations and extensively used as loose flowers for making garlands for religious and social functions

Ø  It has gained popularity amongst gardeners on account of its easy cultivation, wide adaptability and year-round flower production

Ø  Its flowering habit, short duration to produce marketable flowers, wide spectrum of attractive colours, shapes size and g shape, size and good keeping quality make marigold an acceptable commercial crop.

Ø  Marigold is also highly suitable for bedding edging herbaceous border and pots

 Uses

Ø  Marigold is extensively used as loose flowers

Ø   Flowers are used for lutein – the pigment extraction

Ø  French marigold can be used in rockery, as edging, in hanging baskets and window   boxes

Ø  The oil extracted from the flowers used as an insect repellent

Ø  Marigold plant is used as a trap crop to control nematodes.

Ø  These flowers can be collected and can be processed as a source of high value colorants (xanthophylls) for application in food industry.

Ø  Crude flower extract is used mainly as an ingredient of poultry feed to promote the coloration of chicken skin and egg yolk.

Ø  Marigold extracts can be used as “nutraceuticals’ is an ingredient in many products commercialized by nutritional companies

Ø  Marigold flower tea has great antioxidants that help to prevent cardiovascular disease strokes and cancer and prevent DNA damage

Ø  Floral extract is used as a blood purifier and cure for bleeding piles

 General characters of marigold plant

Marigold is an annual herbaceous plant, which can reach heights up to 1 to 2m. Marigold forms fibrous root system, which usually have a spindle-shaped appearance with finely branched fibers

Most species have compound pinnately arranged green leaves. Leaflets are lanceolate and serrated

Floral heads are typically to 4–6 cm diameter, generally with both ray florets and disc florets.

Cultivars

There are 33 species in the genus Tagetes, out of these 2 species are more popular namely,

African marigold	French marigold
Tagetes erecta	Tagetes patula
Tall (90 cm), hardy, erect and branched	Dwarf(30cm), hardy bushy
Leaves are pinnately divided and leaflets are lanceolate and serrated	Foliage is dark green with reddish stem. Leaves are pinnately divided and leaflets are linear, lanceolate and serrated
Flowers single to fully double and large sized with globular heads	Flowers are small either single or double on long peduncle
Flower colour varies from lemon yellow to golden yellow or orange	Flower colour varies from yellow to mahogany red
Yield Yield-Produce 11-18 t/ha flowers	Yield -Produce 8-12t/ha flowers

 Inter-specific hybrids between these two species also have been evolved, which are known as Red and Gold hybrids. Varieties under this group are Nugget, Show Boat and Red Seven Star.

 African marigold varieties

Apricot, Primrose, Sun Giant, Guinea Gold, Fiesta, Golden Yellow, Hawaii, Crown of Gold, Honey Comb, Cupid, Pusa Narangi Gaintha and Pusa Basanti Gaintha.

 French marigold varieties

Rusty Red, Naughty, Marietta, Flame, Star of India and Harmony.

Soil
A wide range of soils with good drainage is suitable for cultivation of marigold. Sandy loam soil with pH 5.6 to 6.5 is ideal.

Climate

Marigold requires mild climate for good growth. The optimum temperature range for its profuse growth is 18-20⁰c. Temperature above 35⁰c restrict the growth of plants, which leads to reduction in flower size and number.  In severe winter flowers are damaged by frost.

Propagation

1. seeds

     2.Terminal cuttings

Marigold is commercially grown through Seeds. About 2-2.5 kg seed is sufficient to grow marigold in one hectare.

            Double marigold cultivars are also perpetuated through 5-10cm long terminal stem cuttings taken during July September to get true to type. These cuttings are treated with IBA/NAA 500 ppm solution for 1-2 minutes before planting in beds /rooting chamber

Cultural practices

Prepare nursery beds of 6 m length, 1.2 m width and 10-20 cm height. Apply 30 kg FYM along with 0.5 kg of 15:15:15 fertilizer mixture and mix them well in the soil. Sow the seeds in rows 7.5 cm apart. Cover the seeds with fine FYM and irrigate. The seedlings will be ready for transplanting within one month.

Main field preparation

The land should be ploughed well and FYM @ 20 t /ha should be incorporated to the soil. Apply a basal dose of fertilizers @ 112.5 kg N, 60 kg P₂O₅, and 60 kg K₂O per ha.  Prepare the field as ridges and furrows.

 Planting:

            Transplant the seedlings at a spacing of 30 cm x 30 cm in case of French marigold and 45 cm x 45 cm in case of African marigold on one side of the ridge and irrigate. Transplanting should be done early in the morning or late in the evening.

Fertilizer application

For the main-field, the land should be ploughed well and FYM @ 20 t /ha should be incorporated to the soil. Apply a basal dose of fertilizers @ 112.5 kg N, 60 kg P₂O₅, and 60 kg K₂O per ha.

Topdress the crop with 112.5 kg N per ha at the time of pinching (30-45 days after transplanting) and earth up.

Irrigation

Irrigation should be given immediately after planting and life irrigation on third day after planting. Water stagnation should be avoided. Based on the soil moisture condition, irrigation should be done once in 4-6 days

Special Horticultural Practices

Nipping/tipping/Pinching

Nipping/tipping/Pinching is done to increase the total yield. It consists of removing terminal portion of the plant 30-45 days after transplanting.

Plant protection

Marigold is not attacked by many pests.  The common pests and their control measures are given below

 Pests:

Mealy bug:
Damage symptom:

Mealy bugs are crowdly present in young shoots, stem and leaves. Flattening and crinkled with dark green leaves. It’s segregate honey like substances because of that leaves are converted into black sooty mould. Apical parts of the shoots show retarded growth.

 Control measures

• Spray Fish oil rosin soap @ 25g/litre
• Spray prophenophos or dimethoate @ 2ml/litre.

Thrips – Thrips tabaci:

Damage symptom:

Discoloured or distorted plant tissue is clue of that thrips were present. Thrips prefer to feed in rapidly growing tissue. Damaged leaves become papery and distorted. Infested terminals may discolour, rolled and drop leaves prematurely.
Petals may exhibit “colour break,” which is pale tissue that was killed by thrips feeding before buds opened.

Control measures

• Set up yellow sticky trap 20 per acre
• Release Amphelicies cucumeris spider parasitoid.

Fipronil 1.5ml/litre or spiromesifen 0.75ml/litre or azardiractin 3ml/litre

Red spider mite:
It can be controlled by spraying Kelthane 1 ml/lit of water

Diseases:

Leaf spot:

Leaf spot can be controlled by spraying Bavistin 1 g / lit of water

Root rot:

Drench 1 g/lit of Bavisitin to control root rot.

 Damping off:

This disease is more common in Seedling stage. Necrotic spots and rings can be seen on young seedlings. It will result in Collapse of seedlings

Control measures

It can control by soil sterilization by formalin @2%before sowing and spraying of Dithane Z-78@2g/l of water

Powdery mildew

Symptoms:

A powdery white coating on marigolds that can look like a fine, powdery white mold
Control measure :

The disease can be controlled by following spraying with Karathane (40 E.G.) @ 0.5% or dusting with sulphur powder a fortnightly interval.

Weeds:

Weeding should be done as and when necessary.

Crop duration:

The crop duration is about 130 - 150 days.

Harvest:

Flowers are picked once in 3 days beginning from 60 days after planting. The plant continues to bear for another 2-2.5 months from the date of first harvest. The flowers are harvested when they have attained full size. Harvest the flowers in the evening along with a portion of stalk. Field should be irrigated before plucking so that flowers keep well for longer period after harvest. Regular picking improves the yield.

Yield:

The average yield is about 18 t/ha.( French marigold 8-12t/ha; African marigold 11-18t/ha)

Packaging:

Fresh flowers are packed in bamboo baskets ,in gunny bags, in CFB boxes  or in thermocol boxes with ice pack   for transporting to the markets.

LDPE (low density polyethylene) pack was the best design among the package designs, in preserving lutein content of marigold flowers and extending their shelf lives.

This economically viable packaging can not only boost the export potential of this ornamental flower, but also allow utilization of nutraceutical potency of lutein.