Effect of pinching, urea and GA₃ on growth, flowering and seed attributes in African marigold (Tagetes erecta L.)

The present experiment entitled "Effect of pinching, urea and GA₃ on growth, flowering and seed attributes in African marigold (Tagetes erecta L.)" was carried out at Horticulture Research Farm, Department of Horticulture, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi (U.P.), India. Treatment consisted of control (no pinching), single pinching, double pinching, no pinching + urea 2%, no pinching + GA₃ 100 ppm, single pinching + urea 2%, single pinching + GA₃ 100 ppm, double pinching + urea 2%, double pinching + GA₃ 100 ppm. Foliar application of urea and GA₃ was done to run-off stage. Experiment was laid out in a Randomized Block Design with three replications. Treatment double pinching + urea 2% produced vigorous plants and maximum number of flowers in African marigold cv. Pusa Narangi Gainda. The maximum number of primary branches per plant, flower yield per plant, stem diameter, were observed with double pinching + urea 2% treatment, whereas minimum flower yield per plant was recorded with no pinching treatment. Maximum number of secondary branches per plant was recorded with double pinching + GA₃ 100 ppm treatment. The maximum diameter of flower was recorded with single pinching + GA₃ 100 ppm. Maximum number of flowers per plant was recorded with double pinching treatment and it was minimum with no pinching treatment. Treatment double pinching recorded maximum number of seeds/flower, seed yield and also weight of seeds/flower. Treatment double pinching + GA₃ 100 ppm was found to give maximum 100 seed weight.