ISHS Acta Horticulturae 318: II International Symposium on Specialty and Exotic Vegetable Crops
PLANT SPACING INFLUENCES YIELD OF VEGETABLE AMARANTH |
| Authors: | D.G. Mortley, E.G. Rhoden, V.A. Khan |
| Keywords: | Amaranthus gangeticus, callaloo, plant density |
| Abstract:
The effect of plant spacing within rows on growth and yield of vegetable amaranth (Amaranthus spp.) was studied during the summer of 1991. Spacing treatments were 10 cm, 20 cm, 30 cm, and 40 cm corresponding to approximately 161000, 80000, 54000 and 40000 plants ha, respectively, in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Plants were harvested four times over three months and fresh weight yield on per plant and unit area basis were determined. Measurement of stem diameter was done two weeks after transplanting and continued up to the first harvest. Fresh weight yield per plant increased linearly at each successive harvest as spacing increased from 10 to 40 cm, and with each harvest up to the third, but declined at the fourth harvest. Total fresh weight yield per plant across all four harvests increased linearly as spacing increased. By contrast, when fresh weight yield was evaluated on a per unit area basis, yield increased linearly per harvest and across all harvests as spacing between plants decreased from 40 to 10 cm. Stem diameter increased linearly as spacing between plants increased from 10 cm to 40 cm, respectively. These results indicate that vegetable amaranth can be grown successfully in Alabama, harvested more than once, and that fresh weight yields are highest at closer within-row spacings. | |
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