Effect of Potassium Doses and Moisture Regimes on Growth and Yield of African Marigold in Lamjung, Nepal

Abstract

Marigold is a popular ornamental plant widely grown in Nepal. However, the optimal potassium (K) dose and moisture level for maximizing its growth and yield under the agro-climatic conditions of Lamjung have not been clearly established. To identify their effect on marigold plants, the experiment was conducted at the horticultural farm of Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science, Lamjung Campus, from July to November 2023. The study was laid out under a two-factor factorial Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with four K levels (40, 80, 120, and 160 kg/ha) and two moisture levels (60% and 100% of fieldcapacity (FC)), comprising eight treatments replicated three times. Other essential nutrients were applied uniformly across all treatments. Application of 120 kg/ha K significantly increased (p ≤ 0.05) plant height, number of primary and secondary branches, canopy spread, earlier flower initiation, days to 50% flowering, number of flower heads per plant, flower diameter, flower weight per plant and flower yield. All parameters showed significantly higher values at 100% of FC. The interaction of 120 kg/ha K with 100% of FC significantly improved most attributes. The study suggests that applying 120 kg/ha K, with 100% of FC, favors the growth and yield of marigold.