Short communication: Effect of different levels of nitrogen and farmyard manure on the growth and yield of spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.)

Abstract

The application of nitrogen (N) and farmyard manure (FYM) greatly affects the growth and production of spinach. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of various levels of nitrogen and farmyard manure on the growth and yield of spinach. This study was conducted in the research field of the Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science, Lamjung, Sundarbazar, Lamjung, Nepal from November 2019 to January 2020. The treatments were: 0 kg N ha–1, 30 kg N ha–1, 60 kg N ha–1, 60 kg N ha–1 + 10 t FYM ha–1, 60 kg N ha–1 + 20 t FYM ha–1, 90 kg N ha–1 and 120 kg N ha–1. These treatments were laid out in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. The results showed that higher N levels gave better results for all parameters studied. The increasing N fertilization rates increased the vegetative characters and yield of spinach. The maximum plant height (22.68 cm), leaf width (6.69 cm), number of leaves (12.93), fresh weight of leaves (17.07 g) and leaf length (14.94 cm) were recorded with the application of the highest level of nitrogen (120 kg N ha–1). The spinach yield (3.2 t ha–1) was the highest with the application of 120 kg N ha–1. However, the growth and yield traits were not significantly differed with the application of 60 kg N ha–1 + 20 t FYM ha–1. Therefore, this study suggests that spinach production can be maximized by the application of 60 kg N ha–1+ 20 t FYM ha–1.

Keywords

• spinach
• growth
• nitrogen
• farmyard manure
• yield
• fertility