PRATAP SINGH RATHOR, SHAILESH KUMAR SINGH*, KUNAL ADHIKARY, NIKITA NEHAL AND DINESH BABOO TYAGI
Department of Horticulture, School of Agriculture, ITM (Institute of Technology and Management) University,
Gwalior-474 001 (M. P.), India
*(e-mail: drshaileshhrt@gmail.com; Mobile: 98559 49955)
(Received: 10 May 2022; Accepted: June 7, 2022)
ABSTRACT
Modern flower cultivation is based on the use of organic manures, which play a major role for producing
the good quality and higher yield per unit area. There is need to seek alternative nutrient sources,
which should be cheap and eco-friendly so that farmers may be able to reduce the investment made on
fertilizer with maintaining good soil environmental conditions leading to ecological sustainable farming.
The present study was undertaken on the agriculture farm of Horticulture, School of Agriculture, ITM
University, Gwalior during the year 2020-21 with the objectives to find out the most effective combination of organic nutrient sources for better growth, yield, vase life of flowers and economics of marigold cultivation. On the basis of the current investigation, it was concluded that the treatment T11 (75% of farm yard manure+25% vermicompost as liquid) produced maximum yield of flowers, net as well as gross income and benefit: cost ratio (1 : 2.54) with improvement in vegetative, floral and vase life characters of flowers in comparison to other treatments.
Key words : Benefit : cost ratio, French marigold, organic sources, vermicompost, vase life