Assessment of Different Varieties of African Marigold (Tagetes Erecta) for Growth and Flowering Attributes under the Northern Dry Zone

The objective of the study was to evaluate the growth and flowering characteristics of eight African marigold (Tagetes erecta) varieties. The field experiment was carried out at the experimental plot of the Department of Floriculture and Landscaping, University of Horticultural Sciences, Bagalkot, during the rabi season (October 2024 to January 2025). The study revealed significant differences in the growth and flowering parameters among the eight evaluated varieties of marigold. Yesh Orange recorded the maximum plant height (94.67 cm), followed by Dream Yellow (89.00 cm), whereas the minimum plant height was observed in Prime Orange (75.33 cm). The variety Prime Orange exhibited superior performance in terms of the number of secondary branches (76.67) and plant spread (62.33 cm East-West and 62.67 cm North-South). The highest number of primary branches per plant was recorded in Akash Orange (16) followed by Aradhana (15) with an lowest number of branches in Lemon Yellow (9.67). Variety Aradhana exhibited an exceptional vegetative and reproductive traits, recording the maximum stem girth (20.42 mm), leaf length (10.00 cm), leaf width (8.33 cm), flower diameter (43.33 mm) and the maximum individual flower weight (18.33 gm). In contrast, Lemon Yellow recorded the lowest leaf length (7.00 cm) and leaf width (5.67 cm). The smallest flower diameter (29.09 mm) and the lesser flower weight (8.93 gm) were recorded in the Akash Orange variety.