Effect of Combined Sericulture Waste Compost on Nutrient Uptake,Flower Quality and Yield of Tagetes erecta Linn. (Asterales: Asteraceae)

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.