EFFECT OF SEEDLING GROWING TECHNOLOGY AND BIO-ALGEEN S-90 APPLICATION ON PLANTLETS QUALITY OF FRENCH MARIGOLD (TAGETES PATULA L.) 'ORANGE BOY'

Marigold ‘Orange Boy' seedlings were produced in a cold plastic greenhouse in Humokomprovit H1 media. Three different sowing techniques were implemented: the first two involved direct sowing into containers of 75 and 80 ml volume respectively, while the third technique involved sowing in simple shallow boxes and subsequently transplanting into 80 ml containers 15 days after sowing, when the seedlings reached the stage of two true leaves. Sixty-two days upon sowing all seedlings were transplanted into pots of 10 cm in diameter and 0.4 l in volume. During cultivation, to support the growth, marigold seedlings were treated with Bio-algeen S-90, 28 and 68 days after sowing, and were either watered with 0.5% solution or sprayed with 0.2% solution. Growth and quality parameters such as plant height, leaf number, floral bud and open flower number were investigated, with measurements conducted 35, 60 and 80 days after sowing. Cultivation technique has a significant influence on marigold seedlings quality. Seedlings produced with additional transplantation lagged behind in development, growth, leaf, floral bud and open flower number compared to the variants directly sown in 75 or 80 ml volume containers. The application of Bioalgeen to stimulate seedling growth showed no significant effect, neither on plant height and leaf number, nor on floral bud and open flower number.