Indian Journal of Science and Technology
DOI: 10.17485/ijst/2009/v2i2.2
Year: 2009, Volume: 2, Issue: 2, Pages: 35-40
Original Article
*Sumeet Gairola1 , Shahid Umar2 and Sanghmitra Suryapani2
1Department of Botany, HNB Garhwal University, Srinagar Garhwal - 246 174, Uttarakhand, India.
2Department of Botany, Jamia Hamdard, Hamdard Nagar, New Delhi - 110 062, India.
*Author for the correspondence:
Sumeet Gairola
Department of Botany, HNB Garhwal University,
Srinagar Garhwal - 246 174, Uttarakhand, India.
E-mail: [email protected]
The present study was carried out at the Herbal Garden of Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi on Pusa Bharti variety of Spinach Beet (Beta vulgaris Linn.) to understand the effect of potassium with other fertilizers on nitrate accumulation, growth and quality of the leaves. Potassium application along with other fertilizers increased leaf area, per cent dry weight, Chlorophyll Content Index (CCI) and Nitrate Reductase Activity (NRA), but decreased nitrate content. Effect of 2:1 ratio of N and K was found statistically at par with 1:1 ratio of N and K. Fertilizer treatments without potassium had lower level of NRA and higher nitrate content in the leaves as compared to other applications. Application of FYM along with NPK fertilizers increased leaf area, per cent dry weight, CCI and NRA, whereas it decreases nitrate content. As higher NRA and lower nitrate content was recorded in treatments with potassium, application of K is desirable to reduce health hazards related with nitrate toxicity. Based on the results of the study, application of 1:1 ratio of N and K fertilizer and FYM is recommended.
Keywords: Spinach beet, potassium, nitrate toxicity, nitrate reductase, manure; fertilizers, NPK.
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