Influence of planting time and spacing on flower yield of African marigold

Abstract:

African marigold cultivation for loose flower markets depends heavily on getting two things right: when to plant and how far apart to space the transplants. This research evaluated three planting dates (15 June, 1 July, and 15 July) and three spacing levels (30×30 cm, 30×45 cm, and 45×45 cm) in a factorial randomized block design for their effects on growth, flower yield, and quality of African marigold (Tagetes erecta L. cv. Pusa Narangi Gainda) at Swarnim Gujarat Agricultural University, Gandhinagar, during the kharif seasons of 2022 and 2023. The 1 July planting at 30×45 cm spacing produced the highest flower yield of 12.34 t/ha, flower diameter of 7.82 cm, and carotenoid content of 184.6 µg/g fresh weight. The earliest planting (15 June) suffered from excessive vegetative growth with reduced flower number, while the latest date (15 July) had a shortened growing period that limited cumulative flower production. Closer spacing (30×30 cm) gave the highest plant population but smaller flowers due to competition. These results recommend 1 July transplanting at 30×45 cm spacing as the optimum combination for maximizing both flower yield and quality in the Gujarat plains.