EFFECT OF ORGANIC AND INORGANIC FERTILIZER ON THE VEGETATIVE GROWTH OF INDIAN SPINACH (Basella alba L.)

Abstract

The experiment was conducted in the shade house beside Academic building-1 in Hajee Mohammad Danesh Science and Technology University, Dinajpur-5200, Bangladesh from February to May 2023 to determine the effect of different pot mixtures amended with organic and inorganic sources of nutrients on the vegetative growth of Indian spinach. The experiment was laid out in a completely randomized design (CRD) with seven treatments with three replications. The treatments were: T1 = Control (only soil); T2 = 50% soil + 20% cowdung (CD) + 20% vermicompost (VC) + 5% sand + 5% cocodust + 2.0 g kg-1 BMP; T3 = 45% soil + 20% CD + 25% VC + 5% sand + 5% cocodust + 1.5 g kg-1 BMP; T4 = 45% soil + 25% CD + 20% VC + 5% sand + 5% cocodust + 1.5 g kg-1 BMP; T5 = 40% soil + 20% CD + 20% VC + 15% sand + 5% cocodust + 2.0 g kg-1 BMP; T6 = 35% soil + 25% CD + 25% VC + 10% sand + 5% cocodust + 1.0 g kg-1 BMP; T7 = 35% soil + 25% CD + 25% VC + 5% sand + 10% cocodust + 1.0 g kg-1 BMP. The highest plant height (68.7 cm at 75 DAS), branch length (54.3 cm at 75 DAS), marketable shoot biomass (33.7 g, 47.0 g at 45 DAS and 60 DAS respectively), root length (13.2 cm at 75 DAS ), root weight (13.2 g at 75 DAS) were found in T7. The maximum leaf number per plant (77.0 at 75 DAS) recorded in T4. The highest total shoot biomass (197.3 g at 75 DAS) found in treatment T5, The maximum OM (3.01%), OC (1.74 %) and S (72.9 ppm) were found in T2. The highest N (0.021 %) found in T6. In respect of vegetative growth of Indian Spinach, it was found that T7 treatment showed better performance. In case of post harvest soil analysis, it was revealed that, except T1 treatment all other treatment showing the considerable variation in soil pH, PD and available nutrients like total N, available P and S.