2. introduction
• Spinach or English Spinach or Vilayati Palak is the most
important pot herb or leafy vegetable grown in winter
season.
• The word spinach is derived from Spanish word Hispania.
• The shape of the leaves is quiet different from that of Palak.
• The edible parts consist of the compact rosette of leaves
prior to the elongation of central bud in flower stalk
formation.
• It is purely a cool season plant and is dioecious in nature.
4. Nutritive value
• Nutritive value( per 100 g of edible portion)
• Spinach is one of the best natural food source of Lutein and
zeaxanthin helps in controlling age related macular degeneration.
5. contd.
• Spinach is one of the best natural food source of Lutein and
zeaxanthin helps in controlling age related macular
degeneration.
• The United States Department of Agriculture states that a
100 g (3.5 oz) serving of cooked spinach contains 3.57 mg of
iron.
• A quantity of 3.5 ounces of spinach contains over four times
the recommended daily intake of vitamin K.
7. Difference between spinach and beet leaf
Beet leaf Spinach
• Chromosome No. 2n=18 • Chromosome No. 2n=12
• Known as Desi Palak • Known as Vilayati Palak
• Botanically called as Beta vulgaris • Botanically called as Spinacia
oleracea
• Tolerant to high temperature , grown
as warm season crop
• Cannot tolerant to high temperature,
grown as cool season crop.
• Its leaves are with entire margin • Its leaves are with lobed margin
• Plants are hermaphrodite in nature • Plants are dioecious in nature
• Seeds are monogerm. • Seeds are multigerm.
8. Botany
• It is a leafy herbaceous annual plant in the family
Amaranthaceae.
• The spinach plant has simple leaves which stem from the
center of the plant and measure about 2–30 cm long and 1 to
15 cm across.
• The leaves grow in a rosette and can appear crinkled or flat.
• The plant produces small yellow-green flowers which are 3–
4 mm in diameter.
• The flowers produce small fruit clusters which contain seeds.
• Spinach is an annual and survives only one growing season
and can reach 30 cm in height.
9.
10. Sex forms of spinach
Extreme males:
• These produce only staminate flowers with minimum
foliage.
• Small with very little vegetative development and tend to
bolt quickly.
• This plant type flowers early and die soon after flowering.
Vegetative males:
• These produce only staminate flowers, more foliage and
flower later than extreme males.
11. Female plants:
• These produce only pistillate flowers and have well
developed foliage with very late tendency to flower.
• Gibberellic acid plays an important role in sex expression of
spinach.
• Female and vegetative male plants are preferred because
they are larger, slower bolting and high yielding.
• Pollination is mostly by wind.
• Fruits usually an achene, the fertilized ovary form a one
seeded fruit called utricle.
• Parthenocarpic fruits also occur in spinach.
Monoecious plant:
• These produce staminate and pistillate flowers, well
developed foliage and are slow to flower.
12. contd.
• Vegetative males and females are slower to flower and
produce considerably more foliage, making them the
preferred plants type for commercial cultivation.
• Dioecious plants are also reported.
• Extreme males produce flower stalks early, but they do not
bear any seed.
• Female and monoecious plants produce seeds.
13. Cultivars of spinach
Savoy Spinach
• It is very productive and handles cold better than most types
of spinach.
• It has deeply crinkled leaves.
Semi-Savoy Spinach
• It has more upright habit that makes mud splash less likely,
and the leaves aren’t as crinkly, so they’re easier to wash.
• Also tend to have better disease and bolt-resistance.
Smooth-Leafed Spinach
• It has smooth, flat leaves that are easier to clean, which
makes it the primary choice for processed spinach.
14. Savoy types
REGIMENT
• F1 Hybrid
• resists mildews
• produces high yields of
deep green leaves that stay
tender even when large.
BLOOMSDALE
• Thick-leafed, succulent
savoy spinach
• handles cold better than
most varieties.
• It produces high yields in
early summer, but has
limited bolt resistance.
15. Semi-savoy types
TYEE
• F1 Hybrid matures in 45 days
• resistant to Downey Mildew
races 1 and 3
• vigorous, upright growth, dark
green leaves, and bolt-
resistance.
• Can be grown all year in mild-
winter areas.
Catalina
• F1 Hybrid matures in 48 days
• It has thick, succulent, spear-
shaped leaves and moderate bolt
resistance.
16. TETON
• F1 Hybrid matures in 40-45
days
• resistant to races 1-4 of Downey
Mildew
• It has deep green oval leaves on
upright plants.
• Very slow to bolt.
INDIAN SUMMER
• F1 Hybrid, 40-45 days, is a fine,
productive,
• Can be grown under spring,
summer and fall seasons.
• Flattened, semi-savoy leaves are
almost like smooth leaf spinach.
Very slow to bolt.
17. Smooth leaved types
RED CARDINA
• It has red veins in the leaves
and deep red stems.
• Harvested as baby greens, they
make a beautiful addition to a
salad
• But they bolt faster and must be
harvested young.
SPACE
• F1 Hybrid
• resistant to races 1-3 of Downey
Mildew
• slower to bolt
18. Climate
• Spinach prefers a cool climate.
• The minimum temperature for seed germination is 2 ⁰C with a
maximum germination temperature of 30 ⁰ C and an optimum
range of 7 to 24 ⁰ C.
• Young plants can withstand temperatures as low as -9 ⁰ C.
• Best crop growth occurs at 15 to 20 ⁰ C with a minimum
temperature of 10 ⁰ C and a maximum of 32 ⁰ C.
SOIL
• Well drained sandy loams or loams well supplied with organic
matter and high in pH are preferred.
• Peat soils may also be used and produce the highest yields.
19. Season
• The crop is seeded in August and early September (up to 30-35
days before the first fall frost) for September and October harvest.
• This crop may also be overwintered if given protection.
• Spinach bolts rapidly when days are both long and hot.
• Plants reach market size in 40 to 70 days depending on the
temperature, moisture, fertility, etc.
• Spinach requires a regular supply of moisture since it is a shallow
rooted crop.
20. Crop establishment
Fresh seed will germinate readily at soil temperatures as low
as 3 to 4⁰C.
At higher temperatures there will be decreased percentage of
germination.
Spinach seeds more than a year old rarely germinates over
80%.
Older seed is even less viable and germinates more slowly and
irregularly.
21. PLANTING
• Seed rate of 13 to 17 kg of seed per hectare
• Sown at a depth of 0.5 to 1 cm a
• Spacing of 25 seeds per meter of row and rows spaced 18 to 60
cm apart.
• Seed may be broadcast where weed control is not a problem.
Seed treatment
• Germination of seed is enhanced by treating the seed with
sulphuric acid or bichromate mixture (Na + k).
Thinning
• After germination, thinning is done when plants attain 5cm
height to retain plants with a spacing of 10-12cm within each
row.
22. Manures
• 60:15:50kg NPK/ha gives 7,904kg of leaf yield.
• 85-112 kg N/ha as ammonium sulphate in split application
after each cutting.
MICRONUTRIENTS
• Zinc (500 and 1000 ppm) in combination with GA3
increased the fresh and dry weight of spinach. (Omran et
al,1973)
• Manganese and boron at 4.5 and 2.2 mg/sq.m, enhanced
ascorbic acid and carotene contents. (Hulwicz,1971)
23. Irrigation
• Irrigated at 10 to 15 days interval because this is a
shallow rooted crop.
• Ample soil moisture is important near harvest which
improves yield and quality of produce.
Weed control
• To keep the field free from weeds, hoeing is necessary.
Weeds can also be checked by the application of herbicides.
• Benthiocarb as pre-emergence and pendimethalin as post
emergence application.
• Broad – leaved weeds can be controlled by pendimethalin
applied at 2.2 kg/ha.
24. Harvesting
• First cutting can be taken about 4 weeks after sowing.
• It is possible to get 4-6 cuttings/season at 7-10 days
interval depending on variety and season.
• Harvesting is done in the evening because leaves become
crisp due to dew and easily break in the morning.
• Yield: 50-60 q/ha.
• Savoyed leaved cultivars were used for fresh markets and
the smoother leaved ones for processing.
• Smoother leaved cultivars are now used more for the
packaged spinach market as they are easier to wash and
present a quality product.
25. STORAGE
• Spinach has one of the highest respiration rates among fruits
and vegetables so cooling is critical.
• Forced air cooling and Vacuum cooling can be used .
• Spinach can be held 10 to 14 days at a temperature of 0⁰ C
and a relative humidity of 95% to 100%.
26. Diseases of spinach
Downy Mildew (fungus)
Symptom:
• Causes indefinite, yellowish areas on the upper leaf surface.
• On the lower surface a gray mold appears.
• Affected areas turn black and die.
• Disease develops best in cool, moist weather.
Control:
• Use tolerant cultivars.
• Practice 3 year crop rotations and hot water treat the seed.
27. White blisters
Symptom:
• Fungus causes white blister like circular or irregular pustules which
appear on the lower surface of the leaves
• Later opposite each pustule on the upper surface a yellow patch is
developed.
Control:
• Spray of copper fungicides and crop rotations, keeping the field free
from weeds.
• Flat or smooth leaf cultivars which are more resistant than the savoy
or crinkled leaf cultivars, may be grown.
28. Spinach Blight or Yellows (virus)
Symptom:
• Caused by cucumber mosaic virus and transmitted by aphids.
• Young inner leaves become mottled, later changing yellow and
finally they are killed.
• Older leaves gradually turn yellow.
• Symptoms develop much faster at higher temperatures.
Control:
• Grow resistant cultivars.
29. Pest of spinach
Leaf miner
• Eggs are laid on the undersides of leaves
• Newly hatched larvae burrow between the leaf surface
layers.
Control :
• Weed control and crop rotation are the first line of defense.
• Row covers can also be used to exclude flies.
30. Aphids
• Small soft bodied insects on underside of leaves and/or
stems of plant.
• Cause leaves to yellow and/or distorted, necrotic spots on
leaves.
• It secretes a sticky, sugary substance called honeydew which
encourages the growth of sooty mold on the plants.
Control:
• Reflective mulches such as silver colored plastic can deter
aphids from feeding on plants.
• Release 1st instar larvae of green lacewing bug (Chrysoperla
zastrowi sillemi) @ 4,000/acre.
• Spraying with tobacco decoction (1 Kg tobacco boiled in 10 l
of water for 30 minutes and making up to 30 l + 100 g soap).
31. Spinach crown mite (Rhizoglyphus spp.)
Symptoms
• Mites are tiny and transparent, living deep in the crown of
the spinach plant.
• Leaves deformed and small holes in newly expanding leaves;
Control :
• Destroy crop debris immediately after harvest.
• Application of appropriate acaricide may be required if mites
are damaging and weather conditions are cool and wet.
