IMPACT OF PINCHING ON GROWTH AND YIELD OF MARIGOLD (Tagetes erecta L.)

Abstract

Marigold, a member of the Asteraceae family, is a popular ornamental plant grown throughout the world, including Nepal. The color and size of the flowers on marigold plants vary. Marigold plants can reach a height of 5 feet, but pinching procedures can lower this, allowing the intercultural operation to continue. Tagetes erecta L. is one of the most well-known marigold varieties in Nepal. Pinching is a technique for breaking apical dominance and redirecting energy to increase blossom production. Different experiments including treatments like no pinch, single pinch, and double pinches were reviewed to evaluate the effect of pinching on the growth and yield of marigolds. The effect of pinching on marigold growth and yield was investigated by comparing parameters such as plant height, number of branches per plant, number of flowers per plant, and flower size of pinched and unpinched (healthy) plants. The height of the unpinched plant was found to be 25% higher than that of the pinched. When plants are pinched, their apical dominance is broken, which encourages the plant to generate lateral branches and become bushy Because the majority of the nutrition is dislocated from the apical region of the plant when it is pinched; no pinched plants have fewer branches than pinched plants. Pinching stimulates cell division, cell size, leaf area, and photosynthetic compound production, which affects branch formation and, as a result, flower production. According to the results from various trials, double pinching resulted in the highest increase in plant height, number of branches, number of flowers per plant, and bloom size when compared to no pinching.