Vol. 9, Issue 1, Part G (2025)

Marigold (Tagetes spp.) is a highly valued loose flower crop of the floriculture industry, prized for its versatility, colourful blooms and ease of cultivation. Its resilience, low maintenance and adaptability make it an ideal choice for farmers, offering an excellent opportunity for profitable farming. Additionally, marigolds are rich in carotenoid content and have several pharmaceutical uses. This study evaluates genetic variability among key morphological traits including flower yield in 20 marigold hybrids. ANOVA analysis revealed significant variations across all traits, indicating considerable diversity within the genotypes. The phenotypic coefficient of variation was higher than the genotypic coefficient of variation for all traits, suggesting a notable environmental influence on trait expression, although genetic factors still played a dominant role due to very small differences. Heritability estimates were very high, ranging from 79.55% (plant spread) to 99.35% (flower weight). High heritability along with high genetic advance was observed for ray florets per flower, flower weight and yield per plant, indicating that selection for these traits is likely to result in substantial genetic improvement. Principal component analysis (PCA) identified four principal components, which together accounted for 83.57% of the total variability. Flower size, ray florets per flower, plant height and flower count per plant were the primary contributors to the four principal components, respectively.