Cultivation of marigolds has now provided 285 farmers across Goa with a profitable occupation and subsidy of ₹ 18,75,000 at the rate of ₹ 75,000 per hectare (10,000 sqm) which will be paid out by the Goa Directorate of Agriculture to the farmers for the 25 hectares land cultivated this year.
The yield is expected to be 125 tonnes worth about one and a quarter crore rupees (₹ 1,25,00,000) at an average price of a hundred rupees per kilogram at Dussehra. Many centuries ago, farmers on the Mediterranean coast found that tomatoes grew better when grown near plots of marigold plants. So, they began growing marigold in other fields (where traditionally only tomatoes were grown) and obtained better yields of tomatoes.
Root-damaging nematodes were discovered later. The butterflies laid their eggs on the marigold plant, and the leaf-miner caterpillar infestation on the nearby tomato, chili, and capsicum plants was greatly reduced. The role of the marigold in attracting insects to itself is now known as ‘Trap cropping.’
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