Abstract:
The experiment was conducted at Horticulture Farm of Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural
University. Dhaka, during the period of April 10
July 2007, to find out the optimum nitrogen
level and spacing on growth and yield of Indian spinach. The experiment consisted of two
factors, Factor A: Four levels of nitrogen viz. No: 0 kg N/ha, Nj: 100 kg N/ha, N,: 120 ke
N/ha and N3
: 140 kg N/ha and factor B : Three levels of spacing viz. S j
60 cm
60 cm 30 cm and S.1: 60 cm
x
40 cm. The experiment was laid out in Randomized
Complete Block Design(RCBD) with three replications. In case of Nitrogen. N.1
performed
maximum plant height (10499 cm), number of leaves (87.59). leaf area
(369.32 cm), dry
matter content/plant (1050%) and highest yield (22.55 t/ha) while the shortest plant height
(81.91cm), number of leaves (54 78), leaf area (28 1.37
x
20 cm,
c111
2). dry matter contcnt;plaitt
(7.85%) and lowest yield (15.96 t/ha) was recorded from Nc,.For spacing. S2 performed
maximum leaf area (356.24 cni2
), dry matter content/plant (10.71%) and yield (23.62 t/ha)
while the minimum number of leaves/plant (73.72). dry matter content/plant (8.84%) and
lowest yield (16.99 t/ha) was recorded from
S3 For combined effect the maximum plant
height (107.22 cm), number of leaves (89.67), leaf area (387.25 cm). dry matter
content/plant (12 09%) and highest yield (25.82 tiha) was obtained from N1S2 while N11S3
contributed the lowest yield (14.71 t/ha). The highest (2.65) benefit cost ratio was recorded
from NS
2
and the lowest benefit cost ratio (1.25) was recorded from Nc.S
3
. So 140kg N/ha
with 60 cm
x
30 cm spacing can be used to obtain higher growth and yield of Indian
Spinach.