Marigold Cultivation

Marigold cultivation is famous in India. Let’s start with some general information regarding the marigold flowers. So, Marigold flowers are attractive in colour and shape and are commonly grown in India. And people use them in several religious and social functions to decorate the venue. Along with this, it is also a trap crop.

Moreover, it matures in a short duration with low maintenance. That’s why it is a popular crop in India. The cultivation of this crop is also easy and has two main varieties according to shape and colour: African marigold and French marigold. The African marigold has big flowers in size than the French marigold. On the other hand, the plants of French marigolds are also short. In India, the major states involved in marigold cultivation are Maharashtra, Karnataka, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and MP. and Dussuhara and Diwali are two significant occasions when people widely use them. 

Tips & Methods of Marigold Cultivation

We have to fulfil all the requirements of marigold farming to achieve a higher yield. So, the following are some requirements of this farming. 

Climate Requirement 

The ideal temperature for marigold cultivation is 25 to 35°C. And you have to sow the seeds at the same temperature. But, then, the perfect rain is 100 to 150 cm if we talk about rainfall. And in the last, you can harvest the crop at a temperature between 28 to 32°C.

Soil Requirement 

You can do marigold farming in a wide variety of soils, but well-drained fertile soil is the best for its cultivation. The marigold can not grow in waterlogged soil, so you should cultivate it in well-drained soil. In addition, the 6.5 to 7.5 pH level of the soil is suitable for its cultivation. Marigold can not grow healthy in acidic and saline soils. The light soil is the best for French marigolds, whereas African marigolds can grow most in the soil with rich manure. Apart from this, you should prepare the land for African marigolds with the help of an excellent tractor like New Holland 3600 or others. If you choose a good tractor, you can save extra expenses. 

Popular Varieties

Farmers in India grow several varieties of marigold, which have a high yield. Such as:

  • African Marigold – Tall up to 90 cm, Flower are big, lemon, yellow, golden yellow, orange or bright yellow colours
  • French Marigold – Early maturing dwarf variety, flowers are small size, golden yellow, yellow, orange, rusty red, mahogany colours
  • Pusa Basanti Gainda – Long duration variety, Plant height is about 58.80 cm, sulphur-yellow colour 
  • Pusa Narangi Gainda – Required 125 to 136 days for flowering, plants are tall with the height of 73.30 cm, orange colour, an average yield of 140 QTL/acre of fresh flower

Land Preparation

You have to plough the land to bring it to a fine tilth. You can use an economical tractor like Massey 245 for this operation to save extra expenses. Along with it, you should apply around 250 quintals of cow dung manure at the time of the last ploughing to increase soil fertility. So, prepare the land properly to increase the production of the crop. 

Sowing 

You can sow the marigold round the year. However, you should sow it in mid-June in the rainy season and transplant it in mid-July. And sowing in mid of September and plantation in mid-October is good in the winter season. Moreover, you should prepare nursery beds of 3m x 1m size and add well-decomposed cow dung on them. After that, you have to broadcast seeds on nursery beds. The transplanting method is suitable for this farming. 

Weed Control

Practise weeding operation according to the intensity of the weeds. 

Irrigation

You have to give irrigation instantly after plantation. So bud formation to harvesting is the critical stage for irrigation. And water stress is harmful at this stage. So from April to June, you should frequently irrigate the field at intervals of 4 to 5 days.

Plant Protection

You have to save your crop from diseases and pests by applying chemicals. So, let’s know about them. 

Pest and their control:

  • Mealy Bug – Give a black appearance and develop on the leaves.
  • Thrips – Spray of [email protected] ml or Azardiractin@3 ml/litre of water 

Disease and their control:

  • Powdery Mildew – Spray of water-soluble Sulphur @ 20 gm/10Ltr of water
  • Damping-off – Drench Copper oxychloride@25 gm or Carbendazim@20 gm/10 Ltr of water nearby soil

Harvesting

Usually, marigold is ready for harvesting in 2 to 2.5 months, but sometimes it depends on the variety. For example, like French marigold gets ready for harvesting in 1.5 months, and on the other hand, African marigold takes 2 months. Therefore, plug the flower when they gain their original size. Moreover, you should harvest the field in the morning or evening. And you should also rinse the area before harvesting. 

This is all about marigold farming. For more information, stay tuned with us.

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