Abstract The agronomic performance and chemical composition of Tagetes minuta L. was evaluated in a new agro-climatic region of semiarid tropical India. T minuta performed well under these conditions and responded to application of 50 kg N/ha. Analysis of the leaf and flower oils by GC revealed that the leaf oil contained dihydrotagetone (6l.0%) and (Z)-tagetone (16.1%), while the flower oil was rich in (Z)-Î²-ocimene (47.9%) and (Z)-tagetenone (19â6%).