marigold cultivation and management
Marigold:
Seed rate: - 1.5 kg for raising seedlings for 1 hectare. (75 gm for 5 R) Seeds can be sown in lines or by broadcast method. Seeds need to be covered with light soil or sand or strained leaf mould.
Nursery beds: - 3 x 1m size mixed with 10 kg of well rotten farmyard manure per sq.meter. Nursery bed should be kept moist by watering accordingly.
Sowing Time -
Rainy Season
Sowing time - End of June to 1st week of July
Transplanting time - First fortnight of August
Winter Season
Sowing time - Mid of September
Transplanting time - Mid of October
Summer Season
Sowing time- First week of January
(under glass house or plastic)
Transplanting time - First week of February
Manures and Fertilizers -
200:100:100 NPK kg/ha (10 :5 : 5 kg for 5 R)should be applied to get highest flower yield.
5:5:5 NPK kg /ha at the time of land preparation and remaining 5 kg N/ha should be applied one month after seedlings are transplanted.
Irrigation:
Marigold takes about 55-60 days to complete vegetative growth and to enter into reproductive phase. At vegetative and flowering period sufficient amount of moisture in soil is essential. The frequency and quantity of water mainly depends upon soil and climatic condition. Though plants tolerate dry weather upto 10 days without irrigation but growth and flower production is affected adversely. From April to June, frequent irrigation at the interval of 4-5 days is required.
Diseases and Insect Pests -
In general, the marigolds are hardy and almost free from diseases and insects. However, occasionally the following diseases and insect pests having observed.
Diseases
Damping off
Symptoms: Brown necrotic spots, girdling the radical which later on extend to plumule and cause pre-emergence mortality. Post-emergence symptom appears as water soaked brown necrotic ring, leading to collapse of seedlings.
Control: 1. Proper drainage should be provided in the nursery beds.
2. Soil drenching with brassicol (0.3%) should be followed.
Leaf spots and Blight
Symptoms: Minute brown circular spots on lower leaves and enlarge at later stage of infection leading to premature defoliation and ultimate death of the plant.
Control: Spraying of Dithane M-45 fungicide @ 0.2% at fortnightly intervals starting from the first appearance of disease symptoms.
Powdery Mildew
Symptoms: The whitish tiny superficial spots appeared on leaves which later on result in the coverage of whole aerial parts of plant with whitish powder.
Control: Spraying with Karathane (40 E.C) @ 0.5% or dusting with sulphur powder at fortnightly intervals.
Pests
Red Spider Mite
Mites appear on the plants near flowering giving dusty appearance.
Control: Spraying Metasystox 25 E.C. or Rogor E.C. or Nuvacron 40 E.C. @ 1 ml/lit. of water.
Hairy Caterpillar
Polyphagus insect and caterpillar eats away foliage.
Control: Sprays of Nuvon 50 E.C. or Thiodan 35 E.C. @ 1 ml/l of water.
