Effect of Combined Sericulture Waste Compost on  Nutrient Uptake, Flower Quality and Yield of Tagetes erecta Linn. (Asterales: Asteraceae)

A pot experiment investigated the impact of combined sericulture waste compost on African marigold (Tagetes erecta L.) growth, nutrient uptake, yield, and flower quality. The experiment employed a completely randomised design (CRD) with five treatments: T1-Control (NPK alone), T2-Vermicompost 5 t ha-1, T3-Vermicompost 5 t ha-1 + NPK, T4-Combined seri-waste (CSW) compost 5 t ha-1, and T5-CSW compost 5 t ha-1 + NPK. All treatments significantly affected African marigold growth. The application of RDF + CSW compost @ 5 t ha-1 notably enhanced growth parameters, including plant height (80%), number of flowers per plant, flower diameter (97 %), flower yield (22 %), vase life, and dry matter production (62.5 %) compared to the control (RDF alone). CSW compost @ 5 t ha-1 with RDF showed a high xanthophyll content (470.05 mg 100g-1), contributing to orange coloration. Consequently, CSW compost @ 5 t ha-1, combined with the recommended fertiliser dose, yielded the highest marigold output and increased xanthophyll content, enhancing the flower’s value.