Above ground effects of spacing on growth, performance and yield of container-grown spinach

Abstract

Container production of vegetable crops like spinach is becoming an easy and popular alternative of subsistence farming. However, there are several limitations of container plant production, which include space allocation. An experiment was carried out at UNISA to evaluate the effects of spatial configuration of pots on the growth, performance and yield of spinach. The experiment consisted of 15 quartets of spinach plants in pots with four distance treatments viz. 0 cm, 25 cm, 50 cm and 75 cm separating pots. Treatments were replicated as follows, 0 cm x 5, 25 cm x 5, 50 cm x 3 and 75 cm x 2. Parameters measured were leaf number, height, leaf area, chlorophyll concentration, stomatal conductance, dry leaf mass and dry root mass. Data was analysed using one way-ANOVA and the Tukey test was used to find means that were significantly different. Results demonstrated that spinach growth and development was significantly affected by the space allocated. The most leaves per plant (25 leaves), the tallest plants (348 mm), maximum leaf area (169 cm2), peak leaf dry mass (39.5 g-1) and maximum root growth (12.6 g-1) were obtained at the 50 cm configuration. The zero cm spacing reported the least leaf area (79 cm-2), least chlorophyll concentration (27 μmol m-2), least stomatal conductance (1.9 m2s-1), least leaf production (21 g-1) and most curtailed root growth (5.8 g-1). There was a positive correlation between leaf number and plant height, any increase in leaf number caused an increase on the plant height. However, it was not so with other parameter, they did not have a significant association. Plant performance was limited at close range possibly in response to light competition. From the results of the study it can be surmised that plant growth, performance and yield increase as spacing increase to a certain level and 50 cm spacing between planting pots appeared to be ideal for container-grown spinach studied here.

Kurima mirivo yakaita sesipinachi mumavhasi kwave kukurumbira uye kunoita kuti vanhu vakwanise kurimira mhuri dzavo zvirinyore. Zvisinei, kune zvipinga mupinyi zvinosanganikwa nazvo pakuzama kurima mumavhasi zvinosanganisira kukura kwenhanho dzinopatsanusa mbeu kune dzimwe. Tsvakiridzo yakaitwa pachikoro chikuru cheSouth Africa (UNISA) cheRobert Sobukwe yekuongorora makuriro, negoho remurivo wesipinachi unorimwa mumavhasi. Murivo waive mumapoka gumi neshanu, boka rimwe chete riine zvirimwa zvina zvakasiyana nhanho pakati pembeu. Kubva mumapoka gumi neshanu, mashanu acho aive nembeu dzakabatana (0 cm x 5), mamwe mashanu aive nembeu dzakaparadzaniswa nenhanho makumi maviri neshanu (25 cm x 5), mapoka matatu aive nembeu dzakaparadzaniswa nenhanho makumi mashanu (50 cm x 3), mapoka maviri aive nembeu dzakaparadzaniswa nenhanho makumi manomwe neshanu (75 cm x 3). Zvakaongororwa muchidzidzo ichi zvaisanganira huwanda hwemashizha, kureba kwemurivo, kufaranuka kwemashizha, ruvara rwemashizha, kuvhurika nekuvharika kwenhengo dzemashizha, huremu hwemashizha akaomeswa uye huremu hwemidzi yakaomeswa. Zvakabuda mutsvakiridzo zvairatidza kuti chimiro chezvirimwa negoho racho zvirimaringe nekuparadzaniswa kwadzo mubindu. Murivo wakabatana (0 cm) wakange wakasarira kumashure pazvizhinji zvaisanganisa kukwikwidzana pamusaka pekuda zuva. Murivo waive nenhanho pakati pawo, kunyanya wenhanho makumi mashanu (50 cm) waikura zvakanaka uye goho rawo raive rakakura. Kubva muchidzidzo ichi kukura, mufaro uye goho rezvirimwa zvaiwedzerwa nekukura kwenhanho dzaiparadzanisa mavhasi adzo mubindu. Mushure meongororo iyi zvakaonekwa kuti kurima murivo mumavhasi akaparadzaniswa nenhanho makumi mashanu (50 cm) kunokurudzirwa.