Effect of Mexican Sunflower (Tithonia diversifolia) Extract on the Growth and Herbage Yield of Lemon Grass (Cymbopogon flexuosus) var. Krishna

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted in the Medicinal plant unit, Department of Horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture, Annamalai university to study the effect of mexcian sunflower (Tithonia diversifolia) leaf extract on the growth and herbage yield of lemon grass (Cymbopogon flexuosus var. krishna). The experiment was laid out in a Randomized Block Design with nine treatments and replication thrice. The treatments consisted of FYM (25 t ha-1) and Tithonia extract at different concentration viz.,5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35 and 40 per cent as foliar application on 15, 45, 75, 105, and 135 days after transplanting. The results of the experiment revealed that the combined application of FYM 25 t ha-1 + Tithonia extract per cent 40 per cent (T9) produced the highest values for growth parameters such as plant height, number of tillers, plant spread (East-West and North-South), number of leaves plant-1 and yield parameters such as fresh herbage, dry herbage yield and dry matter production (per plant, per plot and per hectare).