Performance of Indian Spinach (Basella Alba L.) under Different Combination of Organic and Inorganic Fertilizers

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted in the Germplasm centre of Agrotechnology Discipline of Khulna University, Khulna during May 2014 to September 2014 to investigate the performance of Indian spinach under different combination of organic and inorganic fertilizers. The experiment was laid out in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications. There were 11 treatments, viz. T0= Control (no manures and fertilizers was used), T1= NPK (Recommended dose), T2= 100% Water Hyacinth (WH), T3= 50% Water Hyacinth + 50% Farm Yard Manure (FYM), T4= 50% Cow Dung (CD) + 50% Water Hyacinth (WH), T5= 50% Poultry Litter + 50% Water Hyacinth (WH), T6= 100% Poultry Litter (PL), T7= 50% Poultry Litter + 50% Farm Yard Manure (FYM), T8= 50% Poultry Litter + 50% Cow Dung (CD), T9= 100% Farm Yard Manure (FYM), T10= 100% Cow Dung (CD) and T11= 50% FYM+50% Cow Dung (CD), respectively. Data were collected regularly on number of branch plant-1, number of leaves plant-1, plant height (cm), length of leaves (cm), breadth of leaves (cm), diameter of plant (mm) and yield (t ha-1). Though effect of recommended NPK fertilizers (T1) was observed to be more effective as produced highest number of branches plant-1, number of leaves plant-1, length of leaves, breadth of leaves and harvested yield but T11 (50% FYM + 50% CD) and T8 (50% PL + 50% CD) gave the highest plant height and diameter, respectively. In context of yield parameter, the highest yield of Basella alba L. (28.9 t ha-1) was found at recommended NPK fertilizers followed closely by T11 (50% FYM + 50% CD) (28.5 t ha-1), T7 (50% PL + 50% FYM) (27.1 t ha-1) and T8 (50% PL + 50% CD) (26.5 t ha-1), respectively. Application of organic manures in combination 50% FYM +50% CD (5 t ha-1 + 5 t ha-1), 50% PL + 50% FYM (2.5 t ha-1 + 5 t ha-1) and 50% PL +50% CD (2.5 t ha-1+5 t ha-1), respectively showed better performance in terms of yield parameters and yield of Indian spinach after NPK fertilizers.