EFFECT OF DIFFERENT SOIL MIXTURE ON THE VEGETATIVE GROWTH OF INDIAN SPINACH (Basella alba L.)

Abstract

The experiment was conducted in the shade beside Academic building-1 in Hajee Mohammad Danesh Science and Technology University (HSTU), Dinajpur-5200, Bangladesh from September to December 2023 to find out the effect of pot mixture amended with organic and inorganic source on the vegetative growth of Indian spinach. The experiment was laid out in a Complete Randomized Design (CRD) with 7 treatments and 3 replications. The treatments were as follows; T1 = Control (only soil); T2 = 70% soil + 20% VC + 5% sand + 5% ash + 2.0 g kg-1 bone meal powder; T3 = 65% soil + 25% VC + 5% sand + 5% ash + 1.5 g kg-1 bone meal powder; T4 = 70% soil + 20% VC + 5% sand + 5% ash + 1.5 g kg-1 bone meal powder; T5 = 60% soil + 20% VC + 15% sand + 5% ash + 2.0 g kg_1 bone meal powder; T6 = 60% soil + 25% VC + 10% sand + 5% ash + 1.0 g kg-1 bone meal powder; T7 = 60% soil + 25% VC + 5% sand + 10% ash + 1.0 g kg-1 bone meal powder. The highest plant height (43.6 cm at 40 DAT), branch number (3.0 at 30 DAT), harvestable shoot biomass pot-1 (103.8 g at 55 DAT and 58.2 g at 75 DAT respectively), plant biomass (root and shoot) weight plant -1 (124.6 g), OC (2.6%) and N (0.139%) was found in T4. The maximum leaf number per plant (7.0 at 10 DAT, 10.0 at 20 DAT, 14.3 at 30 DAT, 20.3 at 40 DAT respectively) was observed in T4. Maximum P (31.6%) recorded in T7, S (47.4) was recorded in T3, K (0.319) in T5. The highest pH (5.8) found in T1. In respect of vegetative growth of Indian spinach, it was found that T4 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 lite total N, available P and S.