Slide 1

Spinach

Spinach
•
•
•
•

Botanical Name :
Origin
:
Family
:
Chromosome no.:

Spinacea oleracea L.
Central Asia
Umbelliferae
2n=12

Composition
Moisture- 92.1%

P- 21mg

Vit. C- 28mg

Protein- 2.0g

Fe- 10.9 mg

Vit. A- 9300 IU

Minerals- 1.7g

Mg- 84mg

Ca- 73mg

Oxalic acid- 658mg

Thiamine- 0.03mg
CHO- 2.9g

Importance
Normally consumed as cooked vegetable and
sometimes as a salad in company with lettuce
and other vegetables.
Not commercially grown in India except hilly
areas.

It ranks next to broccoli in total nutrient
concentration among vegetable crops.
Rich source of vitamin A, Fe, Ca

Also contains appreciable quantity of ascorbic
acid, riboflavin and small quantity of thiamine.
Ca is unavailable since it unites with oxalic acid
to form calcium oxalate.

Cultivars
Classification
Smooth

On basis of seeds

Savoyed

On basis of leaf character

Two groups:

Two groups:

Prickly seeded

 Smooth leaved

Round seeded

 Savoy leaved

Early smooth leaf

Virginia Savoy

Cultivars suitable for growing in
Himachal Pradesh
1 Virginia Savoy
.

Prickly seeded cultivar having
blistered large dark green leaves
with round tips. Plants are
upright and vigorous in growth,
average yield 100-125 q/ha

2 Long Standing
.

Dark green thick leaves triangular
in shape with a pointed apex, slow
in growth, average yield 100-125
q/ha

Plant growth and development
 Spinach is an annual.
 Plants are usually dioecious
 some monoecious plants may develop rarely in
certain cultivars.
 Dioecious types produces two different kinds of
male plants:
 Extreme males: small with very little vegetative
development and tend to bolt quickly.
 Vegetative males and females: slower to flower
and produces considerably more foliage, making
them the preferred plants type for commercial
cultivation.
 Eliminate the extreme males from commercial
strains by selection.

Stages of Plant Development
1. Vegetative stage or rosette stage
 Single stem with extremely short internodes
 Leaves may be smooth or savoyed, arise in a whorl around the
stem forming a rosette of foliage

2. Reproductive stage
Initiated by the elongation of stem which breaks apart the rosette
and forms a branching flower seed stalk.
Spinach is a long day plant with critical day length ranging
from 12-15 hours.
The change from vegetative to reproductive growth is
conditioned by temperature and is usually accelerated by
exposure to cold temperature followed by high temperature.
Once the critical photoperiod is reached, spinach will go to
seed rapidly with increasing photoperiod and warm
temperature.

Soil
• Same as beet leaf.
• This crop is susceptible to injury by high acidity

Climate
A hardy, cool season crop that does best at
temperature of 60-65oF.
Withstands hard frost and temperature as low as 20oF,
but the growth is depressed below 35oF.
The plant is very intolerant of warm temperature above
77oF which in combination with long days causes
plants to bolt, quickly destroying market value.
Good seed germination at 10-15.5oC (50-60oF) and
decreases at higher temperature.
It is a long day crop.

AGRONOMIC PRACTICES

Sowing time
N.I. Plains

September-October

Low Hills

October-November

Mid Hills

September-October

High Hills

April-July

Seed Rate
37-45 kg/ha

Soil preparation
The soil should be thoroughly pulverized so
as to obtain fine tilth for getting the best crop

Spacing
30cm X 5-10cm
(Thinning is done to maintain the spacing within the rows)

Manures and fertilizers
Recommended
dose
Open pollinated
varieties

FYM
(q/ha)
100

N

P2O5 K2 O
(Kg/ha)
70
50 30

 Full dose of farmyard manure, P, K and half N
should be applied at the time of sowing.
 Remaining part of N should be top dressed in 2
equal installments at an interval of one month
each.

Interculture and weed control
To keep away the weeds from the field and to
loosen the soil for proper aeration, 2-3
hoeings cum weedings are required.

Irrigation
A pre-sowing irrigation is to be given to
help the seeds absorb moisture and
germinate properly.
The crop requires irrigation at about 10-15
days interval.

Harvesting
• The crop will be ready for harvest about 4
weeks after sowing.
• It gives about 3-4 cuttings in the season.
• Harvesting by hand gave higher yield than
mowing.
• A plant with seed stalk is considered
unmarketable.

Yield
100 q/ha

Diseases
•
•
•
•

Damping off
Leaf spot: spray 0.2% Blitox at 15 days interval
White rust:
Downy mildew: 0.2% Dithane-M-45

Insects
1. Aphids: Spray oxy demeton methyl@ 0.025%
or [email protected]%
2. Catterpiller: Spray [email protected]% or
[email protected]% or
[email protected]%


Slide 2

Spinach

Spinach
•
•
•
•

Botanical Name :
Origin
:
Family
:
Chromosome no.:

Spinacea oleracea L.
Central Asia
Umbelliferae
2n=12

Composition
Moisture- 92.1%

P- 21mg

Vit. C- 28mg

Protein- 2.0g

Fe- 10.9 mg

Vit. A- 9300 IU

Minerals- 1.7g

Mg- 84mg

Ca- 73mg

Oxalic acid- 658mg

Thiamine- 0.03mg
CHO- 2.9g

Importance
Normally consumed as cooked vegetable and
sometimes as a salad in company with lettuce
and other vegetables.
Not commercially grown in India except hilly
areas.

It ranks next to broccoli in total nutrient
concentration among vegetable crops.
Rich source of vitamin A, Fe, Ca

Also contains appreciable quantity of ascorbic
acid, riboflavin and small quantity of thiamine.
Ca is unavailable since it unites with oxalic acid
to form calcium oxalate.

Cultivars
Classification
Smooth

On basis of seeds

Savoyed

On basis of leaf character

Two groups:

Two groups:

Prickly seeded

 Smooth leaved

Round seeded

 Savoy leaved

Early smooth leaf

Virginia Savoy

Cultivars suitable for growing in
Himachal Pradesh
1 Virginia Savoy
.

Prickly seeded cultivar having
blistered large dark green leaves
with round tips. Plants are
upright and vigorous in growth,
average yield 100-125 q/ha

2 Long Standing
.

Dark green thick leaves triangular
in shape with a pointed apex, slow
in growth, average yield 100-125
q/ha

Plant growth and development
 Spinach is an annual.
 Plants are usually dioecious
 some monoecious plants may develop rarely in
certain cultivars.
 Dioecious types produces two different kinds of
male plants:
 Extreme males: small with very little vegetative
development and tend to bolt quickly.
 Vegetative males and females: slower to flower
and produces considerably more foliage, making
them the preferred plants type for commercial
cultivation.
 Eliminate the extreme males from commercial
strains by selection.

Stages of Plant Development
1. Vegetative stage or rosette stage
 Single stem with extremely short internodes
 Leaves may be smooth or savoyed, arise in a whorl around the
stem forming a rosette of foliage

2. Reproductive stage
Initiated by the elongation of stem which breaks apart the rosette
and forms a branching flower seed stalk.
Spinach is a long day plant with critical day length ranging
from 12-15 hours.
The change from vegetative to reproductive growth is
conditioned by temperature and is usually accelerated by
exposure to cold temperature followed by high temperature.
Once the critical photoperiod is reached, spinach will go to
seed rapidly with increasing photoperiod and warm
temperature.

Soil
• Same as beet leaf.
• This crop is susceptible to injury by high acidity

Climate
A hardy, cool season crop that does best at
temperature of 60-65oF.
Withstands hard frost and temperature as low as 20oF,
but the growth is depressed below 35oF.
The plant is very intolerant of warm temperature above
77oF which in combination with long days causes
plants to bolt, quickly destroying market value.
Good seed germination at 10-15.5oC (50-60oF) and
decreases at higher temperature.
It is a long day crop.

AGRONOMIC PRACTICES

Sowing time
N.I. Plains

September-October

Low Hills

October-November

Mid Hills

September-October

High Hills

April-July

Seed Rate
37-45 kg/ha

Soil preparation
The soil should be thoroughly pulverized so
as to obtain fine tilth for getting the best crop

Spacing
30cm X 5-10cm
(Thinning is done to maintain the spacing within the rows)

Manures and fertilizers
Recommended
dose
Open pollinated
varieties

FYM
(q/ha)
100

N

P2O5 K2 O
(Kg/ha)
70
50 30

 Full dose of farmyard manure, P, K and half N
should be applied at the time of sowing.
 Remaining part of N should be top dressed in 2
equal installments at an interval of one month
each.

Interculture and weed control
To keep away the weeds from the field and to
loosen the soil for proper aeration, 2-3
hoeings cum weedings are required.

Irrigation
A pre-sowing irrigation is to be given to
help the seeds absorb moisture and
germinate properly.
The crop requires irrigation at about 10-15
days interval.

Harvesting
• The crop will be ready for harvest about 4
weeks after sowing.
• It gives about 3-4 cuttings in the season.
• Harvesting by hand gave higher yield than
mowing.
• A plant with seed stalk is considered
unmarketable.

Yield
100 q/ha

Diseases
•
•
•
•

Damping off
Leaf spot: spray 0.2% Blitox at 15 days interval
White rust:
Downy mildew: 0.2% Dithane-M-45

Insects
1. Aphids: Spray oxy demeton methyl@ 0.025%
or [email protected]%
2. Catterpiller: Spray [email protected]% or
[email protected]% or
[email protected]%


Slide 3

Spinach

Spinach
•
•
•
•

Botanical Name :
Origin
:
Family
:
Chromosome no.:

Spinacea oleracea L.
Central Asia
Umbelliferae
2n=12

Composition
Moisture- 92.1%

P- 21mg

Vit. C- 28mg

Protein- 2.0g

Fe- 10.9 mg

Vit. A- 9300 IU

Minerals- 1.7g

Mg- 84mg

Ca- 73mg

Oxalic acid- 658mg

Thiamine- 0.03mg
CHO- 2.9g

Importance
Normally consumed as cooked vegetable and
sometimes as a salad in company with lettuce
and other vegetables.
Not commercially grown in India except hilly
areas.

It ranks next to broccoli in total nutrient
concentration among vegetable crops.
Rich source of vitamin A, Fe, Ca

Also contains appreciable quantity of ascorbic
acid, riboflavin and small quantity of thiamine.
Ca is unavailable since it unites with oxalic acid
to form calcium oxalate.

Cultivars
Classification
Smooth

On basis of seeds

Savoyed

On basis of leaf character

Two groups:

Two groups:

Prickly seeded

 Smooth leaved

Round seeded

 Savoy leaved

Early smooth leaf

Virginia Savoy

Cultivars suitable for growing in
Himachal Pradesh
1 Virginia Savoy
.

Prickly seeded cultivar having
blistered large dark green leaves
with round tips. Plants are
upright and vigorous in growth,
average yield 100-125 q/ha

2 Long Standing
.

Dark green thick leaves triangular
in shape with a pointed apex, slow
in growth, average yield 100-125
q/ha

Plant growth and development
 Spinach is an annual.
 Plants are usually dioecious
 some monoecious plants may develop rarely in
certain cultivars.
 Dioecious types produces two different kinds of
male plants:
 Extreme males: small with very little vegetative
development and tend to bolt quickly.
 Vegetative males and females: slower to flower
and produces considerably more foliage, making
them the preferred plants type for commercial
cultivation.
 Eliminate the extreme males from commercial
strains by selection.

Stages of Plant Development
1. Vegetative stage or rosette stage
 Single stem with extremely short internodes
 Leaves may be smooth or savoyed, arise in a whorl around the
stem forming a rosette of foliage

2. Reproductive stage
Initiated by the elongation of stem which breaks apart the rosette
and forms a branching flower seed stalk.
Spinach is a long day plant with critical day length ranging
from 12-15 hours.
The change from vegetative to reproductive growth is
conditioned by temperature and is usually accelerated by
exposure to cold temperature followed by high temperature.
Once the critical photoperiod is reached, spinach will go to
seed rapidly with increasing photoperiod and warm
temperature.

Soil
• Same as beet leaf.
• This crop is susceptible to injury by high acidity

Climate
A hardy, cool season crop that does best at
temperature of 60-65oF.
Withstands hard frost and temperature as low as 20oF,
but the growth is depressed below 35oF.
The plant is very intolerant of warm temperature above
77oF which in combination with long days causes
plants to bolt, quickly destroying market value.
Good seed germination at 10-15.5oC (50-60oF) and
decreases at higher temperature.
It is a long day crop.

AGRONOMIC PRACTICES

Sowing time
N.I. Plains

September-October

Low Hills

October-November

Mid Hills

September-October

High Hills

April-July

Seed Rate
37-45 kg/ha

Soil preparation
The soil should be thoroughly pulverized so
as to obtain fine tilth for getting the best crop

Spacing
30cm X 5-10cm
(Thinning is done to maintain the spacing within the rows)

Manures and fertilizers
Recommended
dose
Open pollinated
varieties

FYM
(q/ha)
100

N

P2O5 K2 O
(Kg/ha)
70
50 30

 Full dose of farmyard manure, P, K and half N
should be applied at the time of sowing.
 Remaining part of N should be top dressed in 2
equal installments at an interval of one month
each.

Interculture and weed control
To keep away the weeds from the field and to
loosen the soil for proper aeration, 2-3
hoeings cum weedings are required.

Irrigation
A pre-sowing irrigation is to be given to
help the seeds absorb moisture and
germinate properly.
The crop requires irrigation at about 10-15
days interval.

Harvesting
• The crop will be ready for harvest about 4
weeks after sowing.
• It gives about 3-4 cuttings in the season.
• Harvesting by hand gave higher yield than
mowing.
• A plant with seed stalk is considered
unmarketable.

Yield
100 q/ha

Diseases
•
•
•
•

Damping off
Leaf spot: spray 0.2% Blitox at 15 days interval
White rust:
Downy mildew: 0.2% Dithane-M-45

Insects
1. Aphids: Spray oxy demeton methyl@ 0.025%
or [email protected]%
2. Catterpiller: Spray [email protected]% or
[email protected]% or
[email protected]%


Slide 4

Spinach

Spinach
•
•
•
•

Botanical Name :
Origin
:
Family
:
Chromosome no.:

Spinacea oleracea L.
Central Asia
Umbelliferae
2n=12

Composition
Moisture- 92.1%

P- 21mg

Vit. C- 28mg

Protein- 2.0g

Fe- 10.9 mg

Vit. A- 9300 IU

Minerals- 1.7g

Mg- 84mg

Ca- 73mg

Oxalic acid- 658mg

Thiamine- 0.03mg
CHO- 2.9g

Importance
Normally consumed as cooked vegetable and
sometimes as a salad in company with lettuce
and other vegetables.
Not commercially grown in India except hilly
areas.

It ranks next to broccoli in total nutrient
concentration among vegetable crops.
Rich source of vitamin A, Fe, Ca

Also contains appreciable quantity of ascorbic
acid, riboflavin and small quantity of thiamine.
Ca is unavailable since it unites with oxalic acid
to form calcium oxalate.

Cultivars
Classification
Smooth

On basis of seeds

Savoyed

On basis of leaf character

Two groups:

Two groups:

Prickly seeded

 Smooth leaved

Round seeded

 Savoy leaved

Early smooth leaf

Virginia Savoy

Cultivars suitable for growing in
Himachal Pradesh
1 Virginia Savoy
.

Prickly seeded cultivar having
blistered large dark green leaves
with round tips. Plants are
upright and vigorous in growth,
average yield 100-125 q/ha

2 Long Standing
.

Dark green thick leaves triangular
in shape with a pointed apex, slow
in growth, average yield 100-125
q/ha

Plant growth and development
 Spinach is an annual.
 Plants are usually dioecious
 some monoecious plants may develop rarely in
certain cultivars.
 Dioecious types produces two different kinds of
male plants:
 Extreme males: small with very little vegetative
development and tend to bolt quickly.
 Vegetative males and females: slower to flower
and produces considerably more foliage, making
them the preferred plants type for commercial
cultivation.
 Eliminate the extreme males from commercial
strains by selection.

Stages of Plant Development
1. Vegetative stage or rosette stage
 Single stem with extremely short internodes
 Leaves may be smooth or savoyed, arise in a whorl around the
stem forming a rosette of foliage

2. Reproductive stage
Initiated by the elongation of stem which breaks apart the rosette
and forms a branching flower seed stalk.
Spinach is a long day plant with critical day length ranging
from 12-15 hours.
The change from vegetative to reproductive growth is
conditioned by temperature and is usually accelerated by
exposure to cold temperature followed by high temperature.
Once the critical photoperiod is reached, spinach will go to
seed rapidly with increasing photoperiod and warm
temperature.

Soil
• Same as beet leaf.
• This crop is susceptible to injury by high acidity

Climate
A hardy, cool season crop that does best at
temperature of 60-65oF.
Withstands hard frost and temperature as low as 20oF,
but the growth is depressed below 35oF.
The plant is very intolerant of warm temperature above
77oF which in combination with long days causes
plants to bolt, quickly destroying market value.
Good seed germination at 10-15.5oC (50-60oF) and
decreases at higher temperature.
It is a long day crop.

AGRONOMIC PRACTICES

Sowing time
N.I. Plains

September-October

Low Hills

October-November

Mid Hills

September-October

High Hills

April-July

Seed Rate
37-45 kg/ha

Soil preparation
The soil should be thoroughly pulverized so
as to obtain fine tilth for getting the best crop

Spacing
30cm X 5-10cm
(Thinning is done to maintain the spacing within the rows)

Manures and fertilizers
Recommended
dose
Open pollinated
varieties

FYM
(q/ha)
100

N

P2O5 K2 O
(Kg/ha)
70
50 30

 Full dose of farmyard manure, P, K and half N
should be applied at the time of sowing.
 Remaining part of N should be top dressed in 2
equal installments at an interval of one month
each.

Interculture and weed control
To keep away the weeds from the field and to
loosen the soil for proper aeration, 2-3
hoeings cum weedings are required.

Irrigation
A pre-sowing irrigation is to be given to
help the seeds absorb moisture and
germinate properly.
The crop requires irrigation at about 10-15
days interval.

Harvesting
• The crop will be ready for harvest about 4
weeks after sowing.
• It gives about 3-4 cuttings in the season.
• Harvesting by hand gave higher yield than
mowing.
• A plant with seed stalk is considered
unmarketable.

Yield
100 q/ha

Diseases
•
•
•
•

Damping off
Leaf spot: spray 0.2% Blitox at 15 days interval
White rust:
Downy mildew: 0.2% Dithane-M-45

Insects
1. Aphids: Spray oxy demeton methyl@ 0.025%
or [email protected]%
2. Catterpiller: Spray [email protected]% or
[email protected]% or
[email protected]%


Slide 5

Spinach

Spinach
•
•
•
•

Botanical Name :
Origin
:
Family
:
Chromosome no.:

Spinacea oleracea L.
Central Asia
Umbelliferae
2n=12

Composition
Moisture- 92.1%

P- 21mg

Vit. C- 28mg

Protein- 2.0g

Fe- 10.9 mg

Vit. A- 9300 IU

Minerals- 1.7g

Mg- 84mg

Ca- 73mg

Oxalic acid- 658mg

Thiamine- 0.03mg
CHO- 2.9g

Importance
Normally consumed as cooked vegetable and
sometimes as a salad in company with lettuce
and other vegetables.
Not commercially grown in India except hilly
areas.

It ranks next to broccoli in total nutrient
concentration among vegetable crops.
Rich source of vitamin A, Fe, Ca

Also contains appreciable quantity of ascorbic
acid, riboflavin and small quantity of thiamine.
Ca is unavailable since it unites with oxalic acid
to form calcium oxalate.

Cultivars
Classification
Smooth

On basis of seeds

Savoyed

On basis of leaf character

Two groups:

Two groups:

Prickly seeded

 Smooth leaved

Round seeded

 Savoy leaved

Early smooth leaf

Virginia Savoy

Cultivars suitable for growing in
Himachal Pradesh
1 Virginia Savoy
.

Prickly seeded cultivar having
blistered large dark green leaves
with round tips. Plants are
upright and vigorous in growth,
average yield 100-125 q/ha

2 Long Standing
.

Dark green thick leaves triangular
in shape with a pointed apex, slow
in growth, average yield 100-125
q/ha

Plant growth and development
 Spinach is an annual.
 Plants are usually dioecious
 some monoecious plants may develop rarely in
certain cultivars.
 Dioecious types produces two different kinds of
male plants:
 Extreme males: small with very little vegetative
development and tend to bolt quickly.
 Vegetative males and females: slower to flower
and produces considerably more foliage, making
them the preferred plants type for commercial
cultivation.
 Eliminate the extreme males from commercial
strains by selection.

Stages of Plant Development
1. Vegetative stage or rosette stage
 Single stem with extremely short internodes
 Leaves may be smooth or savoyed, arise in a whorl around the
stem forming a rosette of foliage

2. Reproductive stage
Initiated by the elongation of stem which breaks apart the rosette
and forms a branching flower seed stalk.
Spinach is a long day plant with critical day length ranging
from 12-15 hours.
The change from vegetative to reproductive growth is
conditioned by temperature and is usually accelerated by
exposure to cold temperature followed by high temperature.
Once the critical photoperiod is reached, spinach will go to
seed rapidly with increasing photoperiod and warm
temperature.

Soil
• Same as beet leaf.
• This crop is susceptible to injury by high acidity

Climate
A hardy, cool season crop that does best at
temperature of 60-65oF.
Withstands hard frost and temperature as low as 20oF,
but the growth is depressed below 35oF.
The plant is very intolerant of warm temperature above
77oF which in combination with long days causes
plants to bolt, quickly destroying market value.
Good seed germination at 10-15.5oC (50-60oF) and
decreases at higher temperature.
It is a long day crop.

AGRONOMIC PRACTICES

Sowing time
N.I. Plains

September-October

Low Hills

October-November

Mid Hills

September-October

High Hills

April-July

Seed Rate
37-45 kg/ha

Soil preparation
The soil should be thoroughly pulverized so
as to obtain fine tilth for getting the best crop

Spacing
30cm X 5-10cm
(Thinning is done to maintain the spacing within the rows)

Manures and fertilizers
Recommended
dose
Open pollinated
varieties

FYM
(q/ha)
100

N

P2O5 K2 O
(Kg/ha)
70
50 30

 Full dose of farmyard manure, P, K and half N
should be applied at the time of sowing.
 Remaining part of N should be top dressed in 2
equal installments at an interval of one month
each.

Interculture and weed control
To keep away the weeds from the field and to
loosen the soil for proper aeration, 2-3
hoeings cum weedings are required.

Irrigation
A pre-sowing irrigation is to be given to
help the seeds absorb moisture and
germinate properly.
The crop requires irrigation at about 10-15
days interval.

Harvesting
• The crop will be ready for harvest about 4
weeks after sowing.
• It gives about 3-4 cuttings in the season.
• Harvesting by hand gave higher yield than
mowing.
• A plant with seed stalk is considered
unmarketable.

Yield
100 q/ha

Diseases
•
•
•
•

Damping off
Leaf spot: spray 0.2% Blitox at 15 days interval
White rust:
Downy mildew: 0.2% Dithane-M-45

Insects
1. Aphids: Spray oxy demeton methyl@ 0.025%
or [email protected]%
2. Catterpiller: Spray [email protected]% or
[email protected]% or
[email protected]%


Slide 6

Spinach

Spinach
•
•
•
•

Botanical Name :
Origin
:
Family
:
Chromosome no.:

Spinacea oleracea L.
Central Asia
Umbelliferae
2n=12

Composition
Moisture- 92.1%

P- 21mg

Vit. C- 28mg

Protein- 2.0g

Fe- 10.9 mg

Vit. A- 9300 IU

Minerals- 1.7g

Mg- 84mg

Ca- 73mg

Oxalic acid- 658mg

Thiamine- 0.03mg
CHO- 2.9g

Importance
Normally consumed as cooked vegetable and
sometimes as a salad in company with lettuce
and other vegetables.
Not commercially grown in India except hilly
areas.

It ranks next to broccoli in total nutrient
concentration among vegetable crops.
Rich source of vitamin A, Fe, Ca

Also contains appreciable quantity of ascorbic
acid, riboflavin and small quantity of thiamine.
Ca is unavailable since it unites with oxalic acid
to form calcium oxalate.

Cultivars
Classification
Smooth

On basis of seeds

Savoyed

On basis of leaf character

Two groups:

Two groups:

Prickly seeded

 Smooth leaved

Round seeded

 Savoy leaved

Early smooth leaf

Virginia Savoy

Cultivars suitable for growing in
Himachal Pradesh
1 Virginia Savoy
.

Prickly seeded cultivar having
blistered large dark green leaves
with round tips. Plants are
upright and vigorous in growth,
average yield 100-125 q/ha

2 Long Standing
.

Dark green thick leaves triangular
in shape with a pointed apex, slow
in growth, average yield 100-125
q/ha

Plant growth and development
 Spinach is an annual.
 Plants are usually dioecious
 some monoecious plants may develop rarely in
certain cultivars.
 Dioecious types produces two different kinds of
male plants:
 Extreme males: small with very little vegetative
development and tend to bolt quickly.
 Vegetative males and females: slower to flower
and produces considerably more foliage, making
them the preferred plants type for commercial
cultivation.
 Eliminate the extreme males from commercial
strains by selection.

Stages of Plant Development
1. Vegetative stage or rosette stage
 Single stem with extremely short internodes
 Leaves may be smooth or savoyed, arise in a whorl around the
stem forming a rosette of foliage

2. Reproductive stage
Initiated by the elongation of stem which breaks apart the rosette
and forms a branching flower seed stalk.
Spinach is a long day plant with critical day length ranging
from 12-15 hours.
The change from vegetative to reproductive growth is
conditioned by temperature and is usually accelerated by
exposure to cold temperature followed by high temperature.
Once the critical photoperiod is reached, spinach will go to
seed rapidly with increasing photoperiod and warm
temperature.

Soil
• Same as beet leaf.
• This crop is susceptible to injury by high acidity

Climate
A hardy, cool season crop that does best at
temperature of 60-65oF.
Withstands hard frost and temperature as low as 20oF,
but the growth is depressed below 35oF.
The plant is very intolerant of warm temperature above
77oF which in combination with long days causes
plants to bolt, quickly destroying market value.
Good seed germination at 10-15.5oC (50-60oF) and
decreases at higher temperature.
It is a long day crop.

AGRONOMIC PRACTICES

Sowing time
N.I. Plains

September-October

Low Hills

October-November

Mid Hills

September-October

High Hills

April-July

Seed Rate
37-45 kg/ha

Soil preparation
The soil should be thoroughly pulverized so
as to obtain fine tilth for getting the best crop

Spacing
30cm X 5-10cm
(Thinning is done to maintain the spacing within the rows)

Manures and fertilizers
Recommended
dose
Open pollinated
varieties

FYM
(q/ha)
100

N

P2O5 K2 O
(Kg/ha)
70
50 30

 Full dose of farmyard manure, P, K and half N
should be applied at the time of sowing.
 Remaining part of N should be top dressed in 2
equal installments at an interval of one month
each.

Interculture and weed control
To keep away the weeds from the field and to
loosen the soil for proper aeration, 2-3
hoeings cum weedings are required.

Irrigation
A pre-sowing irrigation is to be given to
help the seeds absorb moisture and
germinate properly.
The crop requires irrigation at about 10-15
days interval.

Harvesting
• The crop will be ready for harvest about 4
weeks after sowing.
• It gives about 3-4 cuttings in the season.
• Harvesting by hand gave higher yield than
mowing.
• A plant with seed stalk is considered
unmarketable.

Yield
100 q/ha

Diseases
•
•
•
•

Damping off
Leaf spot: spray 0.2% Blitox at 15 days interval
White rust:
Downy mildew: 0.2% Dithane-M-45

Insects
1. Aphids: Spray oxy demeton methyl@ 0.025%
or [email protected]%
2. Catterpiller: Spray [email protected]% or
[email protected]% or
[email protected]%


Slide 7

Spinach

Spinach
•
•
•
•

Botanical Name :
Origin
:
Family
:
Chromosome no.:

Spinacea oleracea L.
Central Asia
Umbelliferae
2n=12

Composition
Moisture- 92.1%

P- 21mg

Vit. C- 28mg

Protein- 2.0g

Fe- 10.9 mg

Vit. A- 9300 IU

Minerals- 1.7g

Mg- 84mg

Ca- 73mg

Oxalic acid- 658mg

Thiamine- 0.03mg
CHO- 2.9g

Importance
Normally consumed as cooked vegetable and
sometimes as a salad in company with lettuce
and other vegetables.
Not commercially grown in India except hilly
areas.

It ranks next to broccoli in total nutrient
concentration among vegetable crops.
Rich source of vitamin A, Fe, Ca

Also contains appreciable quantity of ascorbic
acid, riboflavin and small quantity of thiamine.
Ca is unavailable since it unites with oxalic acid
to form calcium oxalate.

Cultivars
Classification
Smooth

On basis of seeds

Savoyed

On basis of leaf character

Two groups:

Two groups:

Prickly seeded

 Smooth leaved

Round seeded

 Savoy leaved

Early smooth leaf

Virginia Savoy

Cultivars suitable for growing in
Himachal Pradesh
1 Virginia Savoy
.

Prickly seeded cultivar having
blistered large dark green leaves
with round tips. Plants are
upright and vigorous in growth,
average yield 100-125 q/ha

2 Long Standing
.

Dark green thick leaves triangular
in shape with a pointed apex, slow
in growth, average yield 100-125
q/ha

Plant growth and development
 Spinach is an annual.
 Plants are usually dioecious
 some monoecious plants may develop rarely in
certain cultivars.
 Dioecious types produces two different kinds of
male plants:
 Extreme males: small with very little vegetative
development and tend to bolt quickly.
 Vegetative males and females: slower to flower
and produces considerably more foliage, making
them the preferred plants type for commercial
cultivation.
 Eliminate the extreme males from commercial
strains by selection.

Stages of Plant Development
1. Vegetative stage or rosette stage
 Single stem with extremely short internodes
 Leaves may be smooth or savoyed, arise in a whorl around the
stem forming a rosette of foliage

2. Reproductive stage
Initiated by the elongation of stem which breaks apart the rosette
and forms a branching flower seed stalk.
Spinach is a long day plant with critical day length ranging
from 12-15 hours.
The change from vegetative to reproductive growth is
conditioned by temperature and is usually accelerated by
exposure to cold temperature followed by high temperature.
Once the critical photoperiod is reached, spinach will go to
seed rapidly with increasing photoperiod and warm
temperature.

Soil
• Same as beet leaf.
• This crop is susceptible to injury by high acidity

Climate
A hardy, cool season crop that does best at
temperature of 60-65oF.
Withstands hard frost and temperature as low as 20oF,
but the growth is depressed below 35oF.
The plant is very intolerant of warm temperature above
77oF which in combination with long days causes
plants to bolt, quickly destroying market value.
Good seed germination at 10-15.5oC (50-60oF) and
decreases at higher temperature.
It is a long day crop.

AGRONOMIC PRACTICES

Sowing time
N.I. Plains

September-October

Low Hills

October-November

Mid Hills

September-October

High Hills

April-July

Seed Rate
37-45 kg/ha

Soil preparation
The soil should be thoroughly pulverized so
as to obtain fine tilth for getting the best crop

Spacing
30cm X 5-10cm
(Thinning is done to maintain the spacing within the rows)

Manures and fertilizers
Recommended
dose
Open pollinated
varieties

FYM
(q/ha)
100

N

P2O5 K2 O
(Kg/ha)
70
50 30

 Full dose of farmyard manure, P, K and half N
should be applied at the time of sowing.
 Remaining part of N should be top dressed in 2
equal installments at an interval of one month
each.

Interculture and weed control
To keep away the weeds from the field and to
loosen the soil for proper aeration, 2-3
hoeings cum weedings are required.

Irrigation
A pre-sowing irrigation is to be given to
help the seeds absorb moisture and
germinate properly.
The crop requires irrigation at about 10-15
days interval.

Harvesting
• The crop will be ready for harvest about 4
weeks after sowing.
• It gives about 3-4 cuttings in the season.
• Harvesting by hand gave higher yield than
mowing.
• A plant with seed stalk is considered
unmarketable.

Yield
100 q/ha

Diseases
•
•
•
•

Damping off
Leaf spot: spray 0.2% Blitox at 15 days interval
White rust:
Downy mildew: 0.2% Dithane-M-45

Insects
1. Aphids: Spray oxy demeton methyl@ 0.025%
or [email protected]%
2. Catterpiller: Spray [email protected]% or
[email protected]% or
[email protected]%


Slide 8

Spinach

Spinach
•
•
•
•

Botanical Name :
Origin
:
Family
:
Chromosome no.:

Spinacea oleracea L.
Central Asia
Umbelliferae
2n=12

Composition
Moisture- 92.1%

P- 21mg

Vit. C- 28mg

Protein- 2.0g

Fe- 10.9 mg

Vit. A- 9300 IU

Minerals- 1.7g

Mg- 84mg

Ca- 73mg

Oxalic acid- 658mg

Thiamine- 0.03mg
CHO- 2.9g

Importance
Normally consumed as cooked vegetable and
sometimes as a salad in company with lettuce
and other vegetables.
Not commercially grown in India except hilly
areas.

It ranks next to broccoli in total nutrient
concentration among vegetable crops.
Rich source of vitamin A, Fe, Ca

Also contains appreciable quantity of ascorbic
acid, riboflavin and small quantity of thiamine.
Ca is unavailable since it unites with oxalic acid
to form calcium oxalate.

Cultivars
Classification
Smooth

On basis of seeds

Savoyed

On basis of leaf character

Two groups:

Two groups:

Prickly seeded

 Smooth leaved

Round seeded

 Savoy leaved

Early smooth leaf

Virginia Savoy

Cultivars suitable for growing in
Himachal Pradesh
1 Virginia Savoy
.

Prickly seeded cultivar having
blistered large dark green leaves
with round tips. Plants are
upright and vigorous in growth,
average yield 100-125 q/ha

2 Long Standing
.

Dark green thick leaves triangular
in shape with a pointed apex, slow
in growth, average yield 100-125
q/ha

Plant growth and development
 Spinach is an annual.
 Plants are usually dioecious
 some monoecious plants may develop rarely in
certain cultivars.
 Dioecious types produces two different kinds of
male plants:
 Extreme males: small with very little vegetative
development and tend to bolt quickly.
 Vegetative males and females: slower to flower
and produces considerably more foliage, making
them the preferred plants type for commercial
cultivation.
 Eliminate the extreme males from commercial
strains by selection.

Stages of Plant Development
1. Vegetative stage or rosette stage
 Single stem with extremely short internodes
 Leaves may be smooth or savoyed, arise in a whorl around the
stem forming a rosette of foliage

2. Reproductive stage
Initiated by the elongation of stem which breaks apart the rosette
and forms a branching flower seed stalk.
Spinach is a long day plant with critical day length ranging
from 12-15 hours.
The change from vegetative to reproductive growth is
conditioned by temperature and is usually accelerated by
exposure to cold temperature followed by high temperature.
Once the critical photoperiod is reached, spinach will go to
seed rapidly with increasing photoperiod and warm
temperature.

Soil
• Same as beet leaf.
• This crop is susceptible to injury by high acidity

Climate
A hardy, cool season crop that does best at
temperature of 60-65oF.
Withstands hard frost and temperature as low as 20oF,
but the growth is depressed below 35oF.
The plant is very intolerant of warm temperature above
77oF which in combination with long days causes
plants to bolt, quickly destroying market value.
Good seed germination at 10-15.5oC (50-60oF) and
decreases at higher temperature.
It is a long day crop.

AGRONOMIC PRACTICES

Sowing time
N.I. Plains

September-October

Low Hills

October-November

Mid Hills

September-October

High Hills

April-July

Seed Rate
37-45 kg/ha

Soil preparation
The soil should be thoroughly pulverized so
as to obtain fine tilth for getting the best crop

Spacing
30cm X 5-10cm
(Thinning is done to maintain the spacing within the rows)

Manures and fertilizers
Recommended
dose
Open pollinated
varieties

FYM
(q/ha)
100

N

P2O5 K2 O
(Kg/ha)
70
50 30

 Full dose of farmyard manure, P, K and half N
should be applied at the time of sowing.
 Remaining part of N should be top dressed in 2
equal installments at an interval of one month
each.

Interculture and weed control
To keep away the weeds from the field and to
loosen the soil for proper aeration, 2-3
hoeings cum weedings are required.

Irrigation
A pre-sowing irrigation is to be given to
help the seeds absorb moisture and
germinate properly.
The crop requires irrigation at about 10-15
days interval.

Harvesting
• The crop will be ready for harvest about 4
weeks after sowing.
• It gives about 3-4 cuttings in the season.
• Harvesting by hand gave higher yield than
mowing.
• A plant with seed stalk is considered
unmarketable.

Yield
100 q/ha

Diseases
•
•
•
•

Damping off
Leaf spot: spray 0.2% Blitox at 15 days interval
White rust:
Downy mildew: 0.2% Dithane-M-45

Insects
1. Aphids: Spray oxy demeton methyl@ 0.025%
or [email protected]%
2. Catterpiller: Spray [email protected]% or
[email protected]% or
[email protected]%


Slide 9

Spinach

Spinach
•
•
•
•

Botanical Name :
Origin
:
Family
:
Chromosome no.:

Spinacea oleracea L.
Central Asia
Umbelliferae
2n=12

Composition
Moisture- 92.1%

P- 21mg

Vit. C- 28mg

Protein- 2.0g

Fe- 10.9 mg

Vit. A- 9300 IU

Minerals- 1.7g

Mg- 84mg

Ca- 73mg

Oxalic acid- 658mg

Thiamine- 0.03mg
CHO- 2.9g

Importance
Normally consumed as cooked vegetable and
sometimes as a salad in company with lettuce
and other vegetables.
Not commercially grown in India except hilly
areas.

It ranks next to broccoli in total nutrient
concentration among vegetable crops.
Rich source of vitamin A, Fe, Ca

Also contains appreciable quantity of ascorbic
acid, riboflavin and small quantity of thiamine.
Ca is unavailable since it unites with oxalic acid
to form calcium oxalate.

Cultivars
Classification
Smooth

On basis of seeds

Savoyed

On basis of leaf character

Two groups:

Two groups:

Prickly seeded

 Smooth leaved

Round seeded

 Savoy leaved

Early smooth leaf

Virginia Savoy

Cultivars suitable for growing in
Himachal Pradesh
1 Virginia Savoy
.

Prickly seeded cultivar having
blistered large dark green leaves
with round tips. Plants are
upright and vigorous in growth,
average yield 100-125 q/ha

2 Long Standing
.

Dark green thick leaves triangular
in shape with a pointed apex, slow
in growth, average yield 100-125
q/ha

Plant growth and development
 Spinach is an annual.
 Plants are usually dioecious
 some monoecious plants may develop rarely in
certain cultivars.
 Dioecious types produces two different kinds of
male plants:
 Extreme males: small with very little vegetative
development and tend to bolt quickly.
 Vegetative males and females: slower to flower
and produces considerably more foliage, making
them the preferred plants type for commercial
cultivation.
 Eliminate the extreme males from commercial
strains by selection.

Stages of Plant Development
1. Vegetative stage or rosette stage
 Single stem with extremely short internodes
 Leaves may be smooth or savoyed, arise in a whorl around the
stem forming a rosette of foliage

2. Reproductive stage
Initiated by the elongation of stem which breaks apart the rosette
and forms a branching flower seed stalk.
Spinach is a long day plant with critical day length ranging
from 12-15 hours.
The change from vegetative to reproductive growth is
conditioned by temperature and is usually accelerated by
exposure to cold temperature followed by high temperature.
Once the critical photoperiod is reached, spinach will go to
seed rapidly with increasing photoperiod and warm
temperature.

Soil
• Same as beet leaf.
• This crop is susceptible to injury by high acidity

Climate
A hardy, cool season crop that does best at
temperature of 60-65oF.
Withstands hard frost and temperature as low as 20oF,
but the growth is depressed below 35oF.
The plant is very intolerant of warm temperature above
77oF which in combination with long days causes
plants to bolt, quickly destroying market value.
Good seed germination at 10-15.5oC (50-60oF) and
decreases at higher temperature.
It is a long day crop.

AGRONOMIC PRACTICES

Sowing time
N.I. Plains

September-October

Low Hills

October-November

Mid Hills

September-October

High Hills

April-July

Seed Rate
37-45 kg/ha

Soil preparation
The soil should be thoroughly pulverized so
as to obtain fine tilth for getting the best crop

Spacing
30cm X 5-10cm
(Thinning is done to maintain the spacing within the rows)

Manures and fertilizers
Recommended
dose
Open pollinated
varieties

FYM
(q/ha)
100

N

P2O5 K2 O
(Kg/ha)
70
50 30

 Full dose of farmyard manure, P, K and half N
should be applied at the time of sowing.
 Remaining part of N should be top dressed in 2
equal installments at an interval of one month
each.

Interculture and weed control
To keep away the weeds from the field and to
loosen the soil for proper aeration, 2-3
hoeings cum weedings are required.

Irrigation
A pre-sowing irrigation is to be given to
help the seeds absorb moisture and
germinate properly.
The crop requires irrigation at about 10-15
days interval.

Harvesting
• The crop will be ready for harvest about 4
weeks after sowing.
• It gives about 3-4 cuttings in the season.
• Harvesting by hand gave higher yield than
mowing.
• A plant with seed stalk is considered
unmarketable.

Yield
100 q/ha

Diseases
•
•
•
•

Damping off
Leaf spot: spray 0.2% Blitox at 15 days interval
White rust:
Downy mildew: 0.2% Dithane-M-45

Insects
1. Aphids: Spray oxy demeton methyl@ 0.025%
or [email protected]%
2. Catterpiller: Spray [email protected]% or
[email protected]% or
[email protected]%


Slide 10

Spinach

Spinach
•
•
•
•

Botanical Name :
Origin
:
Family
:
Chromosome no.:

Spinacea oleracea L.
Central Asia
Umbelliferae
2n=12

Composition
Moisture- 92.1%

P- 21mg

Vit. C- 28mg

Protein- 2.0g

Fe- 10.9 mg

Vit. A- 9300 IU

Minerals- 1.7g

Mg- 84mg

Ca- 73mg

Oxalic acid- 658mg

Thiamine- 0.03mg
CHO- 2.9g

Importance
Normally consumed as cooked vegetable and
sometimes as a salad in company with lettuce
and other vegetables.
Not commercially grown in India except hilly
areas.

It ranks next to broccoli in total nutrient
concentration among vegetable crops.
Rich source of vitamin A, Fe, Ca

Also contains appreciable quantity of ascorbic
acid, riboflavin and small quantity of thiamine.
Ca is unavailable since it unites with oxalic acid
to form calcium oxalate.

Cultivars
Classification
Smooth

On basis of seeds

Savoyed

On basis of leaf character

Two groups:

Two groups:

Prickly seeded

 Smooth leaved

Round seeded

 Savoy leaved

Early smooth leaf

Virginia Savoy

Cultivars suitable for growing in
Himachal Pradesh
1 Virginia Savoy
.

Prickly seeded cultivar having
blistered large dark green leaves
with round tips. Plants are
upright and vigorous in growth,
average yield 100-125 q/ha

2 Long Standing
.

Dark green thick leaves triangular
in shape with a pointed apex, slow
in growth, average yield 100-125
q/ha

Plant growth and development
 Spinach is an annual.
 Plants are usually dioecious
 some monoecious plants may develop rarely in
certain cultivars.
 Dioecious types produces two different kinds of
male plants:
 Extreme males: small with very little vegetative
development and tend to bolt quickly.
 Vegetative males and females: slower to flower
and produces considerably more foliage, making
them the preferred plants type for commercial
cultivation.
 Eliminate the extreme males from commercial
strains by selection.

Stages of Plant Development
1. Vegetative stage or rosette stage
 Single stem with extremely short internodes
 Leaves may be smooth or savoyed, arise in a whorl around the
stem forming a rosette of foliage

2. Reproductive stage
Initiated by the elongation of stem which breaks apart the rosette
and forms a branching flower seed stalk.
Spinach is a long day plant with critical day length ranging
from 12-15 hours.
The change from vegetative to reproductive growth is
conditioned by temperature and is usually accelerated by
exposure to cold temperature followed by high temperature.
Once the critical photoperiod is reached, spinach will go to
seed rapidly with increasing photoperiod and warm
temperature.

Soil
• Same as beet leaf.
• This crop is susceptible to injury by high acidity

Climate
A hardy, cool season crop that does best at
temperature of 60-65oF.
Withstands hard frost and temperature as low as 20oF,
but the growth is depressed below 35oF.
The plant is very intolerant of warm temperature above
77oF which in combination with long days causes
plants to bolt, quickly destroying market value.
Good seed germination at 10-15.5oC (50-60oF) and
decreases at higher temperature.
It is a long day crop.

AGRONOMIC PRACTICES

Sowing time
N.I. Plains

September-October

Low Hills

October-November

Mid Hills

September-October

High Hills

April-July

Seed Rate
37-45 kg/ha

Soil preparation
The soil should be thoroughly pulverized so
as to obtain fine tilth for getting the best crop

Spacing
30cm X 5-10cm
(Thinning is done to maintain the spacing within the rows)

Manures and fertilizers
Recommended
dose
Open pollinated
varieties

FYM
(q/ha)
100

N

P2O5 K2 O
(Kg/ha)
70
50 30

 Full dose of farmyard manure, P, K and half N
should be applied at the time of sowing.
 Remaining part of N should be top dressed in 2
equal installments at an interval of one month
each.

Interculture and weed control
To keep away the weeds from the field and to
loosen the soil for proper aeration, 2-3
hoeings cum weedings are required.

Irrigation
A pre-sowing irrigation is to be given to
help the seeds absorb moisture and
germinate properly.
The crop requires irrigation at about 10-15
days interval.

Harvesting
• The crop will be ready for harvest about 4
weeks after sowing.
• It gives about 3-4 cuttings in the season.
• Harvesting by hand gave higher yield than
mowing.
• A plant with seed stalk is considered
unmarketable.

Yield
100 q/ha

Diseases
•
•
•
•

Damping off
Leaf spot: spray 0.2% Blitox at 15 days interval
White rust:
Downy mildew: 0.2% Dithane-M-45

Insects
1. Aphids: Spray oxy demeton methyl@ 0.025%
or [email protected]%
2. Catterpiller: Spray [email protected]% or
[email protected]% or
[email protected]%


Slide 11

Spinach

Spinach
•
•
•
•

Botanical Name :
Origin
:
Family
:
Chromosome no.:

Spinacea oleracea L.
Central Asia
Umbelliferae
2n=12

Composition
Moisture- 92.1%

P- 21mg

Vit. C- 28mg

Protein- 2.0g

Fe- 10.9 mg

Vit. A- 9300 IU

Minerals- 1.7g

Mg- 84mg

Ca- 73mg

Oxalic acid- 658mg

Thiamine- 0.03mg
CHO- 2.9g

Importance
Normally consumed as cooked vegetable and
sometimes as a salad in company with lettuce
and other vegetables.
Not commercially grown in India except hilly
areas.

It ranks next to broccoli in total nutrient
concentration among vegetable crops.
Rich source of vitamin A, Fe, Ca

Also contains appreciable quantity of ascorbic
acid, riboflavin and small quantity of thiamine.
Ca is unavailable since it unites with oxalic acid
to form calcium oxalate.

Cultivars
Classification
Smooth

On basis of seeds

Savoyed

On basis of leaf character

Two groups:

Two groups:

Prickly seeded

 Smooth leaved

Round seeded

 Savoy leaved

Early smooth leaf

Virginia Savoy

Cultivars suitable for growing in
Himachal Pradesh
1 Virginia Savoy
.

Prickly seeded cultivar having
blistered large dark green leaves
with round tips. Plants are
upright and vigorous in growth,
average yield 100-125 q/ha

2 Long Standing
.

Dark green thick leaves triangular
in shape with a pointed apex, slow
in growth, average yield 100-125
q/ha

Plant growth and development
 Spinach is an annual.
 Plants are usually dioecious
 some monoecious plants may develop rarely in
certain cultivars.
 Dioecious types produces two different kinds of
male plants:
 Extreme males: small with very little vegetative
development and tend to bolt quickly.
 Vegetative males and females: slower to flower
and produces considerably more foliage, making
them the preferred plants type for commercial
cultivation.
 Eliminate the extreme males from commercial
strains by selection.

Stages of Plant Development
1. Vegetative stage or rosette stage
 Single stem with extremely short internodes
 Leaves may be smooth or savoyed, arise in a whorl around the
stem forming a rosette of foliage

2. Reproductive stage
Initiated by the elongation of stem which breaks apart the rosette
and forms a branching flower seed stalk.
Spinach is a long day plant with critical day length ranging
from 12-15 hours.
The change from vegetative to reproductive growth is
conditioned by temperature and is usually accelerated by
exposure to cold temperature followed by high temperature.
Once the critical photoperiod is reached, spinach will go to
seed rapidly with increasing photoperiod and warm
temperature.

Soil
• Same as beet leaf.
• This crop is susceptible to injury by high acidity

Climate
A hardy, cool season crop that does best at
temperature of 60-65oF.
Withstands hard frost and temperature as low as 20oF,
but the growth is depressed below 35oF.
The plant is very intolerant of warm temperature above
77oF which in combination with long days causes
plants to bolt, quickly destroying market value.
Good seed germination at 10-15.5oC (50-60oF) and
decreases at higher temperature.
It is a long day crop.

AGRONOMIC PRACTICES

Sowing time
N.I. Plains

September-October

Low Hills

October-November

Mid Hills

September-October

High Hills

April-July

Seed Rate
37-45 kg/ha

Soil preparation
The soil should be thoroughly pulverized so
as to obtain fine tilth for getting the best crop

Spacing
30cm X 5-10cm
(Thinning is done to maintain the spacing within the rows)

Manures and fertilizers
Recommended
dose
Open pollinated
varieties

FYM
(q/ha)
100

N

P2O5 K2 O
(Kg/ha)
70
50 30

 Full dose of farmyard manure, P, K and half N
should be applied at the time of sowing.
 Remaining part of N should be top dressed in 2
equal installments at an interval of one month
each.

Interculture and weed control
To keep away the weeds from the field and to
loosen the soil for proper aeration, 2-3
hoeings cum weedings are required.

Irrigation
A pre-sowing irrigation is to be given to
help the seeds absorb moisture and
germinate properly.
The crop requires irrigation at about 10-15
days interval.

Harvesting
• The crop will be ready for harvest about 4
weeks after sowing.
• It gives about 3-4 cuttings in the season.
• Harvesting by hand gave higher yield than
mowing.
• A plant with seed stalk is considered
unmarketable.

Yield
100 q/ha

Diseases
•
•
•
•

Damping off
Leaf spot: spray 0.2% Blitox at 15 days interval
White rust:
Downy mildew: 0.2% Dithane-M-45

Insects
1. Aphids: Spray oxy demeton methyl@ 0.025%
or [email protected]%
2. Catterpiller: Spray [email protected]% or
[email protected]% or
[email protected]%


Slide 12

Spinach

Spinach
•
•
•
•

Botanical Name :
Origin
:
Family
:
Chromosome no.:

Spinacea oleracea L.
Central Asia
Umbelliferae
2n=12

Composition
Moisture- 92.1%

P- 21mg

Vit. C- 28mg

Protein- 2.0g

Fe- 10.9 mg

Vit. A- 9300 IU

Minerals- 1.7g

Mg- 84mg

Ca- 73mg

Oxalic acid- 658mg

Thiamine- 0.03mg
CHO- 2.9g

Importance
Normally consumed as cooked vegetable and
sometimes as a salad in company with lettuce
and other vegetables.
Not commercially grown in India except hilly
areas.

It ranks next to broccoli in total nutrient
concentration among vegetable crops.
Rich source of vitamin A, Fe, Ca

Also contains appreciable quantity of ascorbic
acid, riboflavin and small quantity of thiamine.
Ca is unavailable since it unites with oxalic acid
to form calcium oxalate.

Cultivars
Classification
Smooth

On basis of seeds

Savoyed

On basis of leaf character

Two groups:

Two groups:

Prickly seeded

 Smooth leaved

Round seeded

 Savoy leaved

Early smooth leaf

Virginia Savoy

Cultivars suitable for growing in
Himachal Pradesh
1 Virginia Savoy
.

Prickly seeded cultivar having
blistered large dark green leaves
with round tips. Plants are
upright and vigorous in growth,
average yield 100-125 q/ha

2 Long Standing
.

Dark green thick leaves triangular
in shape with a pointed apex, slow
in growth, average yield 100-125
q/ha

Plant growth and development
 Spinach is an annual.
 Plants are usually dioecious
 some monoecious plants may develop rarely in
certain cultivars.
 Dioecious types produces two different kinds of
male plants:
 Extreme males: small with very little vegetative
development and tend to bolt quickly.
 Vegetative males and females: slower to flower
and produces considerably more foliage, making
them the preferred plants type for commercial
cultivation.
 Eliminate the extreme males from commercial
strains by selection.

Stages of Plant Development
1. Vegetative stage or rosette stage
 Single stem with extremely short internodes
 Leaves may be smooth or savoyed, arise in a whorl around the
stem forming a rosette of foliage

2. Reproductive stage
Initiated by the elongation of stem which breaks apart the rosette
and forms a branching flower seed stalk.
Spinach is a long day plant with critical day length ranging
from 12-15 hours.
The change from vegetative to reproductive growth is
conditioned by temperature and is usually accelerated by
exposure to cold temperature followed by high temperature.
Once the critical photoperiod is reached, spinach will go to
seed rapidly with increasing photoperiod and warm
temperature.

Soil
• Same as beet leaf.
• This crop is susceptible to injury by high acidity

Climate
A hardy, cool season crop that does best at
temperature of 60-65oF.
Withstands hard frost and temperature as low as 20oF,
but the growth is depressed below 35oF.
The plant is very intolerant of warm temperature above
77oF which in combination with long days causes
plants to bolt, quickly destroying market value.
Good seed germination at 10-15.5oC (50-60oF) and
decreases at higher temperature.
It is a long day crop.

AGRONOMIC PRACTICES

Sowing time
N.I. Plains

September-October

Low Hills

October-November

Mid Hills

September-October

High Hills

April-July

Seed Rate
37-45 kg/ha

Soil preparation
The soil should be thoroughly pulverized so
as to obtain fine tilth for getting the best crop

Spacing
30cm X 5-10cm
(Thinning is done to maintain the spacing within the rows)

Manures and fertilizers
Recommended
dose
Open pollinated
varieties

FYM
(q/ha)
100

N

P2O5 K2 O
(Kg/ha)
70
50 30

 Full dose of farmyard manure, P, K and half N
should be applied at the time of sowing.
 Remaining part of N should be top dressed in 2
equal installments at an interval of one month
each.

Interculture and weed control
To keep away the weeds from the field and to
loosen the soil for proper aeration, 2-3
hoeings cum weedings are required.

Irrigation
A pre-sowing irrigation is to be given to
help the seeds absorb moisture and
germinate properly.
The crop requires irrigation at about 10-15
days interval.

Harvesting
• The crop will be ready for harvest about 4
weeks after sowing.
• It gives about 3-4 cuttings in the season.
• Harvesting by hand gave higher yield than
mowing.
• A plant with seed stalk is considered
unmarketable.

Yield
100 q/ha

Diseases
•
•
•
•

Damping off
Leaf spot: spray 0.2% Blitox at 15 days interval
White rust:
Downy mildew: 0.2% Dithane-M-45

Insects
1. Aphids: Spray oxy demeton methyl@ 0.025%
or [email protected]%
2. Catterpiller: Spray [email protected]% or
[email protected]% or
[email protected]%


Slide 13

Spinach

Spinach
•
•
•
•

Botanical Name :
Origin
:
Family
:
Chromosome no.:

Spinacea oleracea L.
Central Asia
Umbelliferae
2n=12

Composition
Moisture- 92.1%

P- 21mg

Vit. C- 28mg

Protein- 2.0g

Fe- 10.9 mg

Vit. A- 9300 IU

Minerals- 1.7g

Mg- 84mg

Ca- 73mg

Oxalic acid- 658mg

Thiamine- 0.03mg
CHO- 2.9g

Importance
Normally consumed as cooked vegetable and
sometimes as a salad in company with lettuce
and other vegetables.
Not commercially grown in India except hilly
areas.

It ranks next to broccoli in total nutrient
concentration among vegetable crops.
Rich source of vitamin A, Fe, Ca

Also contains appreciable quantity of ascorbic
acid, riboflavin and small quantity of thiamine.
Ca is unavailable since it unites with oxalic acid
to form calcium oxalate.

Cultivars
Classification
Smooth

On basis of seeds

Savoyed

On basis of leaf character

Two groups:

Two groups:

Prickly seeded

 Smooth leaved

Round seeded

 Savoy leaved

Early smooth leaf

Virginia Savoy

Cultivars suitable for growing in
Himachal Pradesh
1 Virginia Savoy
.

Prickly seeded cultivar having
blistered large dark green leaves
with round tips. Plants are
upright and vigorous in growth,
average yield 100-125 q/ha

2 Long Standing
.

Dark green thick leaves triangular
in shape with a pointed apex, slow
in growth, average yield 100-125
q/ha

Plant growth and development
 Spinach is an annual.
 Plants are usually dioecious
 some monoecious plants may develop rarely in
certain cultivars.
 Dioecious types produces two different kinds of
male plants:
 Extreme males: small with very little vegetative
development and tend to bolt quickly.
 Vegetative males and females: slower to flower
and produces considerably more foliage, making
them the preferred plants type for commercial
cultivation.
 Eliminate the extreme males from commercial
strains by selection.

Stages of Plant Development
1. Vegetative stage or rosette stage
 Single stem with extremely short internodes
 Leaves may be smooth or savoyed, arise in a whorl around the
stem forming a rosette of foliage

2. Reproductive stage
Initiated by the elongation of stem which breaks apart the rosette
and forms a branching flower seed stalk.
Spinach is a long day plant with critical day length ranging
from 12-15 hours.
The change from vegetative to reproductive growth is
conditioned by temperature and is usually accelerated by
exposure to cold temperature followed by high temperature.
Once the critical photoperiod is reached, spinach will go to
seed rapidly with increasing photoperiod and warm
temperature.

Soil
• Same as beet leaf.
• This crop is susceptible to injury by high acidity

Climate
A hardy, cool season crop that does best at
temperature of 60-65oF.
Withstands hard frost and temperature as low as 20oF,
but the growth is depressed below 35oF.
The plant is very intolerant of warm temperature above
77oF which in combination with long days causes
plants to bolt, quickly destroying market value.
Good seed germination at 10-15.5oC (50-60oF) and
decreases at higher temperature.
It is a long day crop.

AGRONOMIC PRACTICES

Sowing time
N.I. Plains

September-October

Low Hills

October-November

Mid Hills

September-October

High Hills

April-July

Seed Rate
37-45 kg/ha

Soil preparation
The soil should be thoroughly pulverized so
as to obtain fine tilth for getting the best crop

Spacing
30cm X 5-10cm
(Thinning is done to maintain the spacing within the rows)

Manures and fertilizers
Recommended
dose
Open pollinated
varieties

FYM
(q/ha)
100

N

P2O5 K2 O
(Kg/ha)
70
50 30

 Full dose of farmyard manure, P, K and half N
should be applied at the time of sowing.
 Remaining part of N should be top dressed in 2
equal installments at an interval of one month
each.

Interculture and weed control
To keep away the weeds from the field and to
loosen the soil for proper aeration, 2-3
hoeings cum weedings are required.

Irrigation
A pre-sowing irrigation is to be given to
help the seeds absorb moisture and
germinate properly.
The crop requires irrigation at about 10-15
days interval.

Harvesting
• The crop will be ready for harvest about 4
weeks after sowing.
• It gives about 3-4 cuttings in the season.
• Harvesting by hand gave higher yield than
mowing.
• A plant with seed stalk is considered
unmarketable.

Yield
100 q/ha

Diseases
•
•
•
•

Damping off
Leaf spot: spray 0.2% Blitox at 15 days interval
White rust:
Downy mildew: 0.2% Dithane-M-45

Insects
1. Aphids: Spray oxy demeton methyl@ 0.025%
or [email protected]%
2. Catterpiller: Spray [email protected]% or
[email protected]% or
[email protected]%


Slide 14

Spinach

Spinach
•
•
•
•

Botanical Name :
Origin
:
Family
:
Chromosome no.:

Spinacea oleracea L.
Central Asia
Umbelliferae
2n=12

Composition
Moisture- 92.1%

P- 21mg

Vit. C- 28mg

Protein- 2.0g

Fe- 10.9 mg

Vit. A- 9300 IU

Minerals- 1.7g

Mg- 84mg

Ca- 73mg

Oxalic acid- 658mg

Thiamine- 0.03mg
CHO- 2.9g

Importance
Normally consumed as cooked vegetable and
sometimes as a salad in company with lettuce
and other vegetables.
Not commercially grown in India except hilly
areas.

It ranks next to broccoli in total nutrient
concentration among vegetable crops.
Rich source of vitamin A, Fe, Ca

Also contains appreciable quantity of ascorbic
acid, riboflavin and small quantity of thiamine.
Ca is unavailable since it unites with oxalic acid
to form calcium oxalate.

Cultivars
Classification
Smooth

On basis of seeds

Savoyed

On basis of leaf character

Two groups:

Two groups:

Prickly seeded

 Smooth leaved

Round seeded

 Savoy leaved

Early smooth leaf

Virginia Savoy

Cultivars suitable for growing in
Himachal Pradesh
1 Virginia Savoy
.

Prickly seeded cultivar having
blistered large dark green leaves
with round tips. Plants are
upright and vigorous in growth,
average yield 100-125 q/ha

2 Long Standing
.

Dark green thick leaves triangular
in shape with a pointed apex, slow
in growth, average yield 100-125
q/ha

Plant growth and development
 Spinach is an annual.
 Plants are usually dioecious
 some monoecious plants may develop rarely in
certain cultivars.
 Dioecious types produces two different kinds of
male plants:
 Extreme males: small with very little vegetative
development and tend to bolt quickly.
 Vegetative males and females: slower to flower
and produces considerably more foliage, making
them the preferred plants type for commercial
cultivation.
 Eliminate the extreme males from commercial
strains by selection.

Stages of Plant Development
1. Vegetative stage or rosette stage
 Single stem with extremely short internodes
 Leaves may be smooth or savoyed, arise in a whorl around the
stem forming a rosette of foliage

2. Reproductive stage
Initiated by the elongation of stem which breaks apart the rosette
and forms a branching flower seed stalk.
Spinach is a long day plant with critical day length ranging
from 12-15 hours.
The change from vegetative to reproductive growth is
conditioned by temperature and is usually accelerated by
exposure to cold temperature followed by high temperature.
Once the critical photoperiod is reached, spinach will go to
seed rapidly with increasing photoperiod and warm
temperature.

Soil
• Same as beet leaf.
• This crop is susceptible to injury by high acidity

Climate
A hardy, cool season crop that does best at
temperature of 60-65oF.
Withstands hard frost and temperature as low as 20oF,
but the growth is depressed below 35oF.
The plant is very intolerant of warm temperature above
77oF which in combination with long days causes
plants to bolt, quickly destroying market value.
Good seed germination at 10-15.5oC (50-60oF) and
decreases at higher temperature.
It is a long day crop.

AGRONOMIC PRACTICES

Sowing time
N.I. Plains

September-October

Low Hills

October-November

Mid Hills

September-October

High Hills

April-July

Seed Rate
37-45 kg/ha

Soil preparation
The soil should be thoroughly pulverized so
as to obtain fine tilth for getting the best crop

Spacing
30cm X 5-10cm
(Thinning is done to maintain the spacing within the rows)

Manures and fertilizers
Recommended
dose
Open pollinated
varieties

FYM
(q/ha)
100

N

P2O5 K2 O
(Kg/ha)
70
50 30

 Full dose of farmyard manure, P, K and half N
should be applied at the time of sowing.
 Remaining part of N should be top dressed in 2
equal installments at an interval of one month
each.

Interculture and weed control
To keep away the weeds from the field and to
loosen the soil for proper aeration, 2-3
hoeings cum weedings are required.

Irrigation
A pre-sowing irrigation is to be given to
help the seeds absorb moisture and
germinate properly.
The crop requires irrigation at about 10-15
days interval.

Harvesting
• The crop will be ready for harvest about 4
weeks after sowing.
• It gives about 3-4 cuttings in the season.
• Harvesting by hand gave higher yield than
mowing.
• A plant with seed stalk is considered
unmarketable.

Yield
100 q/ha

Diseases
•
•
•
•

Damping off
Leaf spot: spray 0.2% Blitox at 15 days interval
White rust:
Downy mildew: 0.2% Dithane-M-45

Insects
1. Aphids: Spray oxy demeton methyl@ 0.025%
or [email protected]%
2. Catterpiller: Spray [email protected]% or
[email protected]% or
[email protected]%


Slide 15

Spinach

Spinach
•
•
•
•

Botanical Name :
Origin
:
Family
:
Chromosome no.:

Spinacea oleracea L.
Central Asia
Umbelliferae
2n=12

Composition
Moisture- 92.1%

P- 21mg

Vit. C- 28mg

Protein- 2.0g

Fe- 10.9 mg

Vit. A- 9300 IU

Minerals- 1.7g

Mg- 84mg

Ca- 73mg

Oxalic acid- 658mg

Thiamine- 0.03mg
CHO- 2.9g

Importance
Normally consumed as cooked vegetable and
sometimes as a salad in company with lettuce
and other vegetables.
Not commercially grown in India except hilly
areas.

It ranks next to broccoli in total nutrient
concentration among vegetable crops.
Rich source of vitamin A, Fe, Ca

Also contains appreciable quantity of ascorbic
acid, riboflavin and small quantity of thiamine.
Ca is unavailable since it unites with oxalic acid
to form calcium oxalate.

Cultivars
Classification
Smooth

On basis of seeds

Savoyed

On basis of leaf character

Two groups:

Two groups:

Prickly seeded

 Smooth leaved

Round seeded

 Savoy leaved

Early smooth leaf

Virginia Savoy

Cultivars suitable for growing in
Himachal Pradesh
1 Virginia Savoy
.

Prickly seeded cultivar having
blistered large dark green leaves
with round tips. Plants are
upright and vigorous in growth,
average yield 100-125 q/ha

2 Long Standing
.

Dark green thick leaves triangular
in shape with a pointed apex, slow
in growth, average yield 100-125
q/ha

Plant growth and development
 Spinach is an annual.
 Plants are usually dioecious
 some monoecious plants may develop rarely in
certain cultivars.
 Dioecious types produces two different kinds of
male plants:
 Extreme males: small with very little vegetative
development and tend to bolt quickly.
 Vegetative males and females: slower to flower
and produces considerably more foliage, making
them the preferred plants type for commercial
cultivation.
 Eliminate the extreme males from commercial
strains by selection.

Stages of Plant Development
1. Vegetative stage or rosette stage
 Single stem with extremely short internodes
 Leaves may be smooth or savoyed, arise in a whorl around the
stem forming a rosette of foliage

2. Reproductive stage
Initiated by the elongation of stem which breaks apart the rosette
and forms a branching flower seed stalk.
Spinach is a long day plant with critical day length ranging
from 12-15 hours.
The change from vegetative to reproductive growth is
conditioned by temperature and is usually accelerated by
exposure to cold temperature followed by high temperature.
Once the critical photoperiod is reached, spinach will go to
seed rapidly with increasing photoperiod and warm
temperature.

Soil
• Same as beet leaf.
• This crop is susceptible to injury by high acidity

Climate
A hardy, cool season crop that does best at
temperature of 60-65oF.
Withstands hard frost and temperature as low as 20oF,
but the growth is depressed below 35oF.
The plant is very intolerant of warm temperature above
77oF which in combination with long days causes
plants to bolt, quickly destroying market value.
Good seed germination at 10-15.5oC (50-60oF) and
decreases at higher temperature.
It is a long day crop.

AGRONOMIC PRACTICES

Sowing time
N.I. Plains

September-October

Low Hills

October-November

Mid Hills

September-October

High Hills

April-July

Seed Rate
37-45 kg/ha

Soil preparation
The soil should be thoroughly pulverized so
as to obtain fine tilth for getting the best crop

Spacing
30cm X 5-10cm
(Thinning is done to maintain the spacing within the rows)

Manures and fertilizers
Recommended
dose
Open pollinated
varieties

FYM
(q/ha)
100

N

P2O5 K2 O
(Kg/ha)
70
50 30

 Full dose of farmyard manure, P, K and half N
should be applied at the time of sowing.
 Remaining part of N should be top dressed in 2
equal installments at an interval of one month
each.

Interculture and weed control
To keep away the weeds from the field and to
loosen the soil for proper aeration, 2-3
hoeings cum weedings are required.

Irrigation
A pre-sowing irrigation is to be given to
help the seeds absorb moisture and
germinate properly.
The crop requires irrigation at about 10-15
days interval.

Harvesting
• The crop will be ready for harvest about 4
weeks after sowing.
• It gives about 3-4 cuttings in the season.
• Harvesting by hand gave higher yield than
mowing.
• A plant with seed stalk is considered
unmarketable.

Yield
100 q/ha

Diseases
•
•
•
•

Damping off
Leaf spot: spray 0.2% Blitox at 15 days interval
White rust:
Downy mildew: 0.2% Dithane-M-45

Insects
1. Aphids: Spray oxy demeton methyl@ 0.025%
or [email protected]%
2. Catterpiller: Spray [email protected]% or
[email protected]% or
[email protected]%