Comparative Study of Marigold (Tagetes erecta) Varieties for Growth Habit and Flowering Quality in Lahore Conditions

Eight African marigold varieties including ‘Nari’ (orange), ‘Bindi’ (orange), ‘Bali’ (orange), ‘Little Duck’ (orange), ‘Bali’ (yellow), ‘Bali’ (gold), ‘Little Duck’ (yellow), and ‘Eagle’ (yellow) were comparatively studied for growth habit and flowering quality in open field conditions at the Training Centre for Floriculture and Landscaping, Directorate of Floriculture, Lahore during 2018-2019. Among the varietal study, highly significant variations were recorded for growth habit and flowering parameters. Maximum seed germination percentage (94.5 %) was observed in ‘Bindi’ (orange) followed by ‘Little Duck’ (yellow) with 82.75% germination. ‘Bali’ (orange) took minimum days to 1st bud initiation (21.75 days), which was not significantly different from that of ‘Bindi’ (24 days). Results showed that growth parameters like plant height (11.675 cm), number of buds (22.825), number of branches (34.6), flower diameter (7.9 cm), root length (14.9 cm), and number of roots (30.575) were maximum in ‘Bindi’ whereas ‘Nari’ (orange) showed maximum number of flowers (6.65). Hence, it can be concluded that variety ‘Bindi’ was superior to the other varieties in terms of growth behavior and flower quality in Lahore conditions.