Effect of gibberellic acid and cycocel on vegetative growth and flowering of African marigold (Tagetes erecta L.)

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted during 2016–17 at Horticulture Research Farm, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Lucknow on Marigold cv. ‘Pusa Narangi Gainda’ to study the effect of gibberellic (GA3) acid and cycocel on vegetative growth and flowering attributes. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Block Design with eleven different treatments including one control. The treatments are: GA3 (50, 100, 200, 300 and 400 ppm) and cycocel (500, 1000, 1500, 2000 and 2500 ppm) planted in three replications the results revealed that vegetative growth and flowering characters were significantly influenced when foliar spray was done with GA3 and cycocel. The results revealed that the maximum plant height, number of branches per plant, number of leaves per branch, number of leaves per plants were recorded in the treatment of GA3 @ 400 ppm. Flowering characters like days taken to first bud appearance, days taken to first flowering, days taken to 50% flowering, days taken to first flower picking were found maximum in the treatment of cycocel @ 2500 ppm.