Vol. 10, Special Issue 1, Part I (2026)

The present investigation was undertaken during two consecutive winter seasons of 2023-24 and 2024-25 at the Horticultural Research cum Instructional Farm, Indira Gandhi Krishi Vishwavidyalaya (IGKV), Raipur, Chhattisgarh, to assess the effect of seedling age, plant growth regulators (PGRs), and pinching on growth, flowering, and yield attributes of African marigold (Tagetes erecta L.) cv. Pusa Bahar. The experiment was conducted in a factorial randomized block design comprising two seedling ages (25 and 35 days), four PGRs—Cycocel (CCC) @ 1500 ppm and 2000 ppm and Cytokinin (Benzyl adenine) @ 200 ppm and 250 ppm and three pinching levels (no pinching, single pinching and double pinching). Results revealed that younger seedlings (25 DAS) showed superior vegetative growth, better establishment, and significantly higher flower yield compared to older seedlings. Among the PGRs, foliar application of BA @ 250 ppm (G₄) resulted in maximum plant height and flower diameter, whereas Cycocel @ 2000 ppm (G₂) enhanced branching and flower yield per plant. Pinching treatments significantly affected growth and flowering; single pinching (P₁) produced the highest flower yield per plant by balancing vegetative and reproductive growth, while double pinching (P₂) promoted branching but delayed flowering and reduced flower size. The combined treatment S₁G₂P₁ (25-day-old seedlings × CCC @ 2000 ppm × single pinching) proved most effective, yielding the maximum flower production per plant. Overall, the study demonstrated that the integration of 25-day-old seedlings, foliar application of CCC @ 2000 ppm and single pinching can substantially improve growth, flowering behaviour and flower yield of African marigold cv Pusa Bahar.