Cultivating Marigold Flowers in India: Its Importance & Varieties

Table of Contents

• Marigold Farming in India
• What is the Importance of Marigold Plant in Organic Farming?
• What are the health benefits of Marigold?
• Which are the Popular Marigold Varieties in India?
• Marigold Cultivation in India
  • Soil & Climate
  • Land Preparation
  • Plantation
  • Manures and Fertilizers
  • Irrigation
  • Nipping/Tipping
  • Plant Protection Measures
    • Pests
    • Diseases
  • Harvesting & Yield

Marigold Farming in India

Marigold is a short-duration and popular annual flower that could be grown on a commercial scale. They are famous for their vibrant orange and yellow blooms, which provide a cheerful touch to gardens and landscapes. They are extensively used in religious and social functions in different forms. Their demand is very high at the time of Dussehra, Diwali, and Ugadi festivals. Marigold flowers are native to Mexico and Central America but are now cultivated worldwide.

Marigold Farming is quite common in India because of its easy cultivation and wide adaptability. The commonly cultivated marigold species in India are African Marigold (Tall) and French Marigold (Dwarf). The major marigold-producing states in India are Maharashtra, Karnataka, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu.

What is the Importance of Marigold Plant in Organic Farming?

These points will help you understand why Marigold is important for organic farming in India:

• Marigold can repel pests, such as whiteflies, aphids, and nematodes. They generate a chemical known as alpha-terthienyl, which is toxic to many soil-borne pests. Thus, it acts as a natural pest controller for other crops.
• Marigold can improve the growth of some crops when planted alongside other crops, such as tomatoes, melons, potatoes, broccoli, and many others. Thus, they can also act as a companion crop.
• Marigold plants attract hoverflies, lacewings, ladybugs, and other predatory insects that eat aphids and other pests that can damage crops. Attracting beneficial insects will keep the ecosystem balanced and may ensure that no pest problem gets out of control.
• They are also used as trap crops, which means they can be planted to attract the pests away from other crops.

What are the health benefits of Marigold?

Marigold plants have several health benefits, such as:

• They are rich in carotenes and carotenoids, which are responsible for the vibrant yellow colour of the flower and provide many medicinal properties.
• Lutein is a type of carotenoid found in the Marigold flower. It is an important vitamin for maintaining eye health and is an important antioxidant beneficial for the eyes. They have the ability to fight inflammation and infection.
• They contain active compounds, such as salicylic acid, saponins, triterpenes, flavonoids and mucilage, having anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-wheal, analgesic, and hydrating properties.

Which are the Popular Marigold Varieties in India?

The popular Marigold varieties that are cultivated in India are African Marigold and French Marigold. Their hybrid varieties are widely cultivated in India along with some local hybrid varieties, which are mentioned below:

• African Marigold: Apricot, Chrysanthemum Charm, Climax, Cracker jack, Crown of Gold, Fiesta, Glitters, Golden Age, Golden Yellow, Guinea Gold, Happiness, Mammoth Mum, Primrose, Pusa Basanti Genda, Pusa Narangi Genda, Shaggy, Sun Giants, Star Gold and Spun Gold and Cupid.
• French Marigold: Butter Scotch, Flame, Rusty Red, Spry, Star of India and Valencia.

Marigold Cultivation in India

Soil & Climate

The cultivation of marigold can be successfully done in well-drained loamy soil having a pH between 7.0 and 7.5. Saline and acidic soils are not ideal for the growth of marigold plants.

They need a mild climate of luxuriant growth and profuse flowering. A temperature range of 14.5 to 28.6°C greatly improves farming while a high temperature of 26.2°- 36.4°C can affect flower production.

Land Preparation

The land should be ploughed well and brought up to fine tilth. You can also add 25 t/ha of FYM or well decomposed cow dung in the soil during the last ploughing to increase the soil fertility.

Plantation

The Marigold plants are propagated through two common methods: by seeds and by cuttings. The seeds are sown throughout the year. The nursery should be raised with 1 kg seeds per hectare, and the seedlings should be transplanted on one side of the ridge with a spacing of 45 X 35 cm after four weeks. Before sowing, you need to treat the seeds with Azospirillum (200 g mixed in 50 ml of rice gruel).

Sowing Time:

Manures and Fertilizers

During the time of last ploughing, you need to add 50 t/ha of Farm Yard Manure. Incorporate 400 kg N, 200 kg P, 60 kg K per hectare. You should also provide Nitrogen two or three times during the growth period.

Irrigation

Watering should be done once a week or as when it is required or necessary. The irrigation should be done according to the soil moisture conditions. You need to ensure that water does not stagnate in the field.

Nipping/Tipping

The terminal portion of the plant should be tipped/removed to push the branching after 30 days of plantation.

Plant Protection Measures

The Marigold plant is most probably free from insects and diseases. However, some insects, pests and diseases are observed occasionally.

Pests

Mealy Bug: It is observed on stems, leaves and young shoots. Honey dew substance is secreted by them, which causes sooty mould on leaves and gives a black appearance. It can be controlled by spraying Dimethoate@2 ml/litre of water.

Thrips: It causes discolouration, rolling and defoliation of leaves. You need to set up a yellow sticky trap@20 for one acre to know the intensity of thrips. It can be controlled by spraying [email protected] ml/litre of water or Azardiractin@3 ml/litre of water.

Diseases

Powdery Mildew: In this disease, a patchy, white powdery growth is seen on the lower side of leaves. It parasitizes the plant and utilizes it as a food source. It can be controlled by avoiding waterlogging on the field and keeping the field clean. You need to spray water soluble Sulphur@ 20 gm/10 litres of water 2 times with an interval of 10 days to control this disease.

Damping Off: It is a soil-borne disease caused by moist and poorly drained soil. You can observe water soaking and shriveling of stem in this disease. It can destroy an entire lot of seedlings if it appears in a nursery. It can be controlled by drenching nearby soil with copper oxychloride@25 grams or Carbendazim@20 grams per 10 litres of water.

Harvesting & Yield

Marigold flowers should be plucked when they attain full size, depending on the variety. It should be done during the morning or evening when the temperature is cool. Flowers should be plucked once in 3 days starting from 60 days after planting. The land should be irrigated before plucking. Regular plucking of flowers results in increased productivity of plants.

The average yield of African and French marigold varies with cultivar and cultural practices, such as planting, spacing, and fertilization. The yield of French marigold variety is around 6 to 8 million per hectare and the yield of African marigold is around 1.5 to 2.5 million per hectare. The corresponding variation in the flower’s weight in French marigold is around 8 to 12 tonnes per hectare and in African marigold is 11 to 18 tonnes per hectare.

Gunny bags or bamboo baskets are used for packing the marigold flowers. After packing, they are transported to the local or distant market.