Impact of Organic and Inorganic Fertilizer on the Performance of Indian Spinach and Red Amaranth in Floating Bed in Summer Season

Abstract

The study was undertaken to investigate the performance of organic and inorganic fertilizers in floating bed on the development and yield of Indian spinach and red amaranth in 2014 and 2015 in Gopalganj, Bangladesh. The single factor experiment was conducted in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications. There were four treatments like control, cowdung, suggested dose of NPK, fifty percent cowdung + fifty percent suggested dose of NPK. Organic and inorganic fertilizers have positive impact in floating bed for the performance of Indian spinach and red amaranth. In case of Indian spinach, the higheststem length (187.17 and 185.33 cm, respectively) was found in fifty percent cow dung + fifty percent suggested dose of NPK. The highest weight of leaves varied from 567.00 and 521.33 to 853.67 and 843.00 g while the total weight of stems varied from 686.67 and 694.00 to 1009.33 and 998.67 g in 2014 and 2015, respectively. The highest yield (57.30 and 55.60 t ha-1, respectively) was obtained from suggested dose of NPK followed by fifty percent Cow dung + fifty percent suggested dose of NPK. The minimum yield (37.60 and 36.50 t ha-1, respectively) was obtained within the control in 2014 & 2015. Similar tendency was also observed in red amaranth in both the growing season. Including economic consideration, the results suggested that the use of fifty percent cow dung + fifty percent NPK of suggested dose of fertilizers in floating bed was appropriate for development and yield as well as cost effective for Indian spinach and red amaranth production.