S13 - Session P3 - Nutrient deficiency effects growth, flower quality and yield of American Marigold (Tagetes erecta)

Authors: Soraya Ruamrungsri *, Kanokwan Punjama, Chaiartid Inkham

American marigold ( Tagetes erecta ) is an important economic flower crop and there are many breeding seed companies in Thailand. The area of flower production in Thailand was approximately about 1,000 hectares. Poor fertilizer management caused low quality and yield. The supporting data regarding the visible deficiency symptoms of essential elements could help growers understand their crop fertilizer requirement. Therefore, the main objective of this experiment was to determine visible deficiency symptoms, including growth, quality and yield of this plant. The experiment was done by germinating marigolds seed on sponge for 3 weeks and then transplanting them in hydroponic system using double pots technique. The average temperature in greenhouse was 28-30 °C, 80% relative humidity. Complete nutrient solution for control treatment (T1) contained all essential elements using Hoagland and Arnon, (1950), T2, supplied with only deionized water and T3 to T14 plants were cultured with a solution lacking either N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S, Fe, B, Mn, Zn, Cu, Mo, respectively. Experimental design was in completely randomize design (CRD) with 3 replications and 1 plant/replication. Plant height, root length, leaf color intensity, leaves area, flower quality and total flower fresh weight (FW) were recorded. The result showed that at 14 weeks after supplied treatments, the lowest plant height was observed in plant supply with water. Moreover, plant supplied with -K and -P treatments gave the lower plant height than plant supplied with complete nutrient solution. Leaves turned to yellow in nN, -Mg, -Fe and nMo, leaf color intensity was also decreased. Lack of calcium reduced root length. Stem of marigold growing in nB was brittle broken and leaves were curled and wrinkled. All deficiency treatments reduced total leaves area and total flower FW (g) also decreased, except nCu nMo and nMn.