EFFECTS OF ORGANIC FERTILIZERS ON GROWTH, AND YIELD POTENTIAL OF SPINACH
ABSTRACT
In this study, the effects of different organic fertilizers on the growth and yield potential of spinach (Spinacia oleracea) were investigated. A total of six fertilizer treatments in three replications were analyzed during the present study using a randomized complete block design (RCBD). The plant parameters including Plant height (cm), total biomass (root and shoot) per plant (gm), leaf area (cm2), number of leaves per plant, total chlorophyll content (SPAD meter value) and total Yield /plot (kg) were calculated at 30 and 60 days after sowing. The application of all organic fertilizers showed positive impacts on the growth and yield of the spinach crop. After calculating the relative growth rate (CGR), Treatment T2 stands out with the highest RGR of 0.22 during the initial phase at 30 days, whereas T3 and T5 also show favorable RGR values at 60 days (0.077), emphasizing the importance of organic nutrient sources for long-term plant development. Further, the calculation of net assimilation rate (NAR) depicted that treatment T3 showed the highest NAR at 30 days and T2 at 60 days. Similarly, the results of agronomic efficiency (AE) suggest that T4 provides the highest increase in spinach yield relative to the amount of fertilizer applied among the treatments evaluated. As all organic fertilizers have the potential to affect the growth and yield of spinach, it is recommended that expanded studies on this topic should also be carried out on other field and vegetable crops.