Organic production of spinach beet (Beta vulgaris var. bengalensis) through the use of manures and biofertilizers

A field experiment was conducted at Vegetable Experimental Field, SKUAST- K Shalimar during Rabi season 2016-17 to evaluate the effect of organic manures and biofertilizers on growth and leaf yield of spinach beet. The experiment was laid out in RCBD with nine treatment combinations replicated three times. The treatments comprised of organic manures viz., farm yard manure, sheep manure, vermicompost, mustard cake and two types of bio-fertilizers namely Azospirillum and PSB, including RFD (recommended fertilizer dose) as control. Results revealed that growth parameters like plant height (27.18, 27.44 and 27.48 cm), weight of leaf blade (1.13, 2.55 and 3.54 g), weight of leaf petiole (0.48, 0.50 and 0.63 g), seedling emergence per cent (97.68 %), seedling root length (9.09 cm), seedling shoot length (6.19 cm) and seedling vigour index (1492.55) were highest in the treatment in which vermicompost @ 3 tonnes ha-1 + biofertilizers @ 5 kg ha-1 was applied. Lowest values for growth parameters were recorded in treatment where mustard cake @ 1.2 tonnes ha-1 was applied. Yield parameters like number of leaves (10.97, 9.37 and 7.09), leaf area (20.10, 64.10 and 104.30 cm2), leaf yield per plant (17.62, 29.27 and 29.26 g) and per hectare (58.73, 97.58 and 97.88 q) were also registered highest in vermicompost @ 3 tonnes ha-1 + biofertilizers @ 5 kg ha-1. Treatment RFD (control) recorded the lowest values for yield parameters.