Soil test and targeted yield based primary nutrient management of marigold (Tagetus patula) in an Inceptisol

Abstract

Field experiments was conducted on marigold (Tagetus patula L.) var. Pusa Arpita during 2014-16 using Ramamoorthy's inductive methodology for the quantification of soil test and crop requirement based integrated fertilizer prescription of primary nutrients for targeted yield of marigold at ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi. The results of the experiment indicated that 0.46 kg N, 0.07 kg P and 0.49 kg K were required to produce one quintal of marigold flowers in Inceptisols of New Delhi. The contributions (%) from soil, fertilizer nutrients and FYM were found to be 46.33, 45.53 and 21.60 for N; 59.62, 20.42 and 8.87 for P and 47.22, 85.71 and 6.11 for K, respectively. The fertilizer prescription equations were developed and nomograms were formulated based on the equations for a range of soil test values and desired yield targets of marigold. Under NPK + 10 tonnes/ha FYM, 9.3, 10.17, and 3.09 kg/ha of fertilizer N, P2O5 and K2O could be saved for attaining targeted yield of 30 tonnes/ha as compared to NPK fertilizer alone at a given soil test values of 100, 4 and 100 kg of N, P2O5 and K2O, respectively.