Vol. 7, Issue 9, Part E (2025)

The present investigation entitled “Effect of spacing and trailing system on growth and yield of Indian spinach (Basella alba L.)” was conducted at the College of Horticulture, Dapoli, Dist. Ratnagiri (M.S.) during the academic year 2024-25. The experiment was carried out in a factorial randomized block design (FRBD), with two factors, nine treatment combinations and three replications. Among two factors: factor A, spacings (S₁- 45 cm x 30 cm, S₂- 30 cm x 30 cm and S₃- 15 cm x 30 cm) and factor B, trailing systems (T₁: Ground trailing, T₂: No trailing (harvesting of new sprouts) and T₃: Trailing on low bower). Among spacings, S₁ (45 cm x 30 cm) demonstrated superior performance in growth parameters such as vine length (73.00 cm) and number of nodes (21.49), whereas spacing S₂ (30 cm x 30 cm) recorded the highest number of branches (1.80) and yield parameters like total herbage yield per plant (190.96 g). The highest number of leaves (64.67) and yield parameters viz. total number of harvests (13.78), total herbage yield per plot (21.85 kg), total herbage yield (22.58 t/ha) were observed in closer spacing S₃ (15 cm x 30 cm). Among trailing systems, T₃ (trailing on low bower) recorded the highest vine length (73.56 cm), number of leaves (62.67), number of branches (1.51), number of nodes (20.80), yield parameters like total herbage yield per plant (201.56 g), total herbage yield per plot (13.96 kg), total herbage yield (14.40 t/ha). Treatment T₃ was better than T₁ and T₂ in terms of growth and yield characteristics. In interaction, wider spacing (45 cm x 30 cm) with trailing on low bower was superior in growth parameters, whereas overall yield was greater in closer spacing of 15 cm x 30 cm with trailing on low bower. The data recorded in the present investigation revealed that spacing and trailing systems influenced the growth and yield parameters of Indian spinach. Thus, considering the yield of Indian spinach, a spacing of 15 cm x 30 cm with trailing on a low bower was found to be beneficial under Konkan conditions.