Abstract
A pot experiment investigated the impact of combined sericulture waste compost on African marigold (Tagetes erecta L.) growth, nutrient uptake, yield, and flower quality. The experiment employed a completely randomised design (CRD) with five treatments: T1-Control (NPK alone), T2-Vermicompost 5 t ha-1, T3-Vermicompost 5 t ha-1 + NPK, T4-Combined seri-waste (CSW) compost 5 t ha-1, and T5-CSW compost 5 t ha-1 + NPK. All treatments significantly affected African marigold growth. The application of RDF + CSW compost @ 5 t ha-1 notably enhanced growth parameters, including plant height (80%), number of flowers per plant, flower diameter (97 %), flower yield (22 %), vase life, and dry matter production (62.5 %) compared to the control (RDF alone). CSW compost @ 5 t ha-1 with RDF showed a high xanthophyll content (470.05 mg 100g-1), contributing to orange coloration. Consequently, CSW compost @ 5 t ha-1, combined with the recommended fertiliser dose, yielded the highest marigold output and increased xanthophyll content, enhancing the flower’s value.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.