EFFECT OF NITROGEN AND PHOSPHORUS ON THE GROWTH AND SEED YIELD OF SPINACH

Abstract

The experiment was conducted at the Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka, Bangladesh during November, 2016 to March, 2017 to study the effect of nitrogen and phosphorus on the growth and seed yield of spinach. The experiment consisted of two factors. Factor A: Nitrogen management 4 levels; N 0 = 0 kg/ha N 1 = 27.6 kg/ha, N 2 =55.2 kg/ha, N 3 = 82.8 kg/ha, and factor B: Phophorus management 4 levels; P 0 = 0 kg/ha - ); P 1 = 15.84 kg/ha, P 2 = 31.68 kg/ha, P 3 = 47.52 kg/ha. There were 16 treatment combinations. RCBD design was followed with three replications in this experiment. The local variety was used in this experiment as the test crop. Nitrogen and phosphorus were applied as per treatment variables and other fertilizer were applied as per BARI recommendation. Data on different yield contributing characters and seed yield were recorded to find out the optimum levels of nitrogen and phosphorus for higher yield of spinach. The result indicated significant variations in all the parameters studied due to the effect of Nitogen and Phosphorus. It was also evident that, N 3 (82.8 kg/ha) treatment influenced significantly on the morphological characters, whereas N 2 (55.2 kg/ha) treatment influenced yield contributing characters, yield and seed quality of spinach. On the other hand P 3

(P 47.52 kg/ha) treatment influenced significantly on the morphological characters, whereas P 2 (31.68 kg/ha) influenced the seed yield contributing characters and seed quality of spinach. Among the treatment combinations N 2 P 2 (N 55.2 kg/ha + P 31.68 kg/ha) seemed to be more suitable for getting higher seed yield of spinach. The highest BCR (1.59) was found in the treatment of N 2 P 2 , and the second highest

BCR found in N 2 P 3 (1.4) whereas the lowest BCR (1.01) was found N 0 .

P 0