Screening of African marigold (Tagetes erecta L.) cultivars for flower yield and carotenoid pigments

Better plant growth was found in Orange Double cultivar with the highest plant height, leaf area, fresh biomass and dry matter yield. The cultivar Orange Double gave the highest fresh flower yield with a total carotenoids yield of 51.07 kg/ha. The cultivar Pusa Narangi Gainda produced the highest total carotenoids per g of fresh weight of flower petals followed by Orange Double. Early flowering was observed in Orange Double cultivar followed by Pusa Narangi Gainda. Duration of flowering was also observed to be higher in Orange Double cultivar followed by Pusa Basanti Gainda. Maximum seed yield and the highest seed germination was obtained in Orange Double cultivar followed by Pusa Narangi Gainda. The highest flower yield of Orange Double cultivar might be due to the highest fresh weight and flower diameter of single flower.The superior performance of the cultivar Orange Double might be due to its genotype x ideal allelic interaction in heterozygous conditions.