GROWTH, YIELD AND QUALITY PERFORMANCE OF SOME SWAMP CABBAGE CULTIVARS UNDER NFT SYSTEM 0.

Abstract

The experiment was carried out to evaluate the growth, yield, and quality of some swamp cabbage (Ipomoea aquatica) cultivars grown under Nutrient Film Technique (NFT) hydroponic system in the net house of Department of Horticulture, Hajee Mohammad Danesh Science and Technology University, Dinajpur, during the period from May to July, 2023. The single-factor experiment was laid out with three swamp cabbage cultivars: BARI swamp cabbage-1 (V1), La procesa swamp cabbage-1 (V2), and Nice green swamp cabbage (V3) in Complete Randomized Design (CRD) with three replications. The average daytime temperature and relative humidity during the research period were 33.86°C and 91.5%, respectively. Results indicated that the variety, BARI swamp cabbage-1 (V1) performed superior than the other cultivars. The tallest plant height (30.33 cm), largest leaf area (664.80 mm²), highest fresh weight per plant (235.03 g), highest yield (34.83 ton/ha), and dry matter percentage (12.33%) were noted in BARI swamp cabbage-1 (V1). The performance of Nice green swamp cabbage (V3) and La procesa swamp cabbage-1 (V2) found in the same hydroponic system. Nice green (V3) showed good adaptation increase and the highest number of leaves (31 leaves per plant). It also excelled in SPAD readings and vitamin C content. However, V2 (LP-1) showed only moderate results compared to the other two cultivars. BARI swamp cabbage-1 (V1) found superior in terms of chlorophyll-a and β-carotene concentration, making it the top performing cultivar in terms of both yield and quality. The findings demonstrate that NFT hydroponic systems are effective for sustainable swamp cabbage production, particularly in regions with limited water and land resources. Among the tested cultivars, BARI swamp cabbage-1 (V1) is the most promising option for achieving high yields and quality under NFT system.