Tagetes minuta L., A USEFUL UNDERUTILIZED PLANT OF FAMILY ASTERACEAE: A REVIEW

Plants are widely used in the medicine industry of modern era, and are the sources of raw material and essential ingredients for medicines. These plant extracts and active constituents are used to make different formulations. Tagetes minuta, an annual ornamental plant, has been identified as potential medicinal plant as it contains allelochemicals and essential oils that have multidimensional uses and applications such as weedicides, germicides, nematocides, insecticides, fungicides etc. Moreover, different medicines also have the fractions of these compounds. This plant is also used for beautification and landscaping i.e. as an ornamental one. However, sometimes it appears to be a weed in lawns, parks and crop fields. In such case, it should be managed by mechanical, cultural and by chemical control methods. A comprehensive research is needed to explore more qualities and uses of this beneficial plant in future. Tagetes minuta L., a widelydistributed plant in northern Pakistan, has immense and diverse utilities. The objective of the paper is to target this plant for exploitation and change its status from weed to underutilized minor crop.