BIBLIOGRAPHY POCKIAS, DANIEL L. APRIL ...
BIBLIOGRAPHY
POCKIAS, DANIEL L. APRIL 2013. Yield and Profitability of New Zealand
Spinach Planted at Four Spacings. Benguet State University, La Trinidad, Benguet.
Adviser: Silvestre L. Kudan, PhD
ABSTRACT
This study was conducted at Benguet State University Organic Farm, in Balili La
Trinidad, Benguet from September 21, 2012 to February 10, 2013 to determine the plant
spacing of New Zealand spinach that allow enough space for development in four months
harvesting duration, determine the plant spacing that produce the heaviest yield and
determined the profitability of New Zealand spinach planted from various spacings.
Result of the study revealed that New Zealand spinach planted at 50 cm x 50 cm
produced more lateral branches in four month duration of harvesting but not significantly
different to plants spaced at 40 cm x 40 cm and 35 cm x 35 cm. The plants spaced at 45 cm
x 45 cm had the lowest count of lateral branches but not significantly lower from plants
spaced at 35 cm x 35 cm.
In terms of income, plants spaced at 40 cm x 40 cm obtained the highest of Php3,
398.97 followed by 50 cm x 50 cm with Php3, 340.03, 35 cm x 35 cm with Php2, 554.46
and 45 cm x 45 cm with Php591.37. The production cost per kilogram of New Zealand
spinach in an area of 60sq m was computed to be Php41.75 in four month duration.
Yield and Profitability of New Zealand Spinach Planted at Four Spacings |
POCKIAS, DANIEL L. APRIL 2013
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Lateral Branches per Plant
Table 1 shows that New Zealand spinach spaced at 50 x 50 cm produced more
lateral branches in four months duration of harvesting which was not significantly different
to the plants spaced at 40 x 40 cm. Similarly plants spaced at 40 x 40 cm did not
significantly differ from the plants spaced at 35 x 35 cm which did not also differ from
those plants spaced at 45 x 45 cm which had the lowest number of laterals produced.
The study of Guntan (2010) shows increasing lateral branches of individual plant
from 25 x 25 cm to 40 x 40 cm but the trend in this study was different where the plants
spaced at 45 x45 cm had the lowest count of lateral branches. It was observed that the
plants spaced at 45 x 45 cm had thinner stems and flowered earlier than the other treatment
plants thus producing fewer lateral branches as presented in the photographs of treatments
(Fig.3 to 6). It might not be the plant spacing but the differences in soil fertility which was
not known.
Table 1. Lateral branches per plant
TREATMENT/ Spacing between MEAN
hills and rows(cm)
________________________________________________________________________
35 x 35 162.39bc
40 x 40 239.09ab
45 x 45 110.95c
50 x 50 254.78a
Means with the same letter are not significantly different at 5% level by DMRT
Yield and Profitability of New Zealand Spinach Planted at Four Spacings |
POCKIAS, DANIEL L. APRIL 2013
Figure 3. Close up photograph of 35 x 35 cm plant spacing towards termination
Figure 4. Close up photograph of 40 x 40 cm plant spacing towards termination
Yield and Profitability of New Zealand Spinach Planted at Four Spacings |
POCKIAS, DANIEL L. APRIL 2013
Figure 5. Close up photograph of 45 x 45 cm plant spacing towards termination
Figure 6. Close up photograph of 50 x 50 cm plant spacing towards termination
Yield and Profitability of New Zealand Spinach Planted at Four Spacings |
POCKIAS, DANIEL L. APRIL 2013
Weight of Shoots Harvested per Plot
Plants spaced at 50 x 50 cm, 40 x 40 cm and 35 x 35 cm had similar weight of
shoots harvested per plot that significantly outweighed the shoots harvested from 45 x 45
cm as presented in Table 2. The lower count of lateral branches produced per plant from
45 x 45 cm spacing may be due to early flowering of some plants and smaller size of
individual plants as reflected in Table 3 are the causes of the lower weight of shoots
harvested per plot.
In the previous study of Guntan(2010), the yield per plot proportionately increased
from 7.41 to 12.0 kg when the plant spacing was increased from 25 x 25 cm to 40 x 40
cm. This study, on the other hand, produced 13.18 kg at 35 x35 cm plant spacing then 16.42
kg at 40 x 40 cm with very slight increase to 16.75 kg at 50 x 50 cm. This might imply that
the yield of New Zealand spinach cannot increase significantly beyond 40 x 40 cm spacing,
although Davison (2010) recommend 45 cm intervals for New Zealand spinach.
Table 2. Weight of shoots harvested per (1m x 5m) plot
TREATMENT/Spacing between MEAN
hills and rows (cm) (kg)
35 x 35
13.18a
40 x 40
16.42a
45 x 45
5.84b
50 x 50
16.75a
Means with the same letter are not significantly different at 5% level by DMRT
Yield and Profitability of New Zealand Spinach Planted at Four Spacings |
POCKIAS, DANIEL L. APRIL 2013
Weight of Individual Plants
As presented in Table 3, the weight of individual plant after the last harvest showed
that the plants spaced at 50 x 50 cm, 40 x 40 cm and 35 x 35 cm slightly differed. Further
comparison shows that plants spaced at 35 x 35 cm and 45 x45 cm had similar weights. It
is apparent that the weight of individual plant corresponding increased as the plant spacing
is increased but the plants spaced at 45 x 45 cm did not follow the trend. However, as
mentioned earlier the plants stem were thinner and had early flowering which may reduce
plant growth resulting to lighter weight of individual plant.
In the study of Guntan (2010), the plants spaced at 30 x 30 cm had the lowest weight
of individual plant samples, although the trend is similar that the weight of plant increases
as the spacing is increased. This is because the plant is provided with more space to grow
and develop when spacings are increased.
Table 3. Weight of individual plants (g)
TREATMENT/Spacing between MEAN
hills and rows (cm)
(g)
35 x 35 1573.33ab
40 x 40 2056.67a
45 x 45 1216.67b
50 x 50 2376.67a
Means with the same letter are not significant at 5 % level by DMRT
Yield and Profitability of New Zealand Spinach Planted at Four Spacings |
POCKIAS, DANIEL L. APRIL 2013
Figure 7. Harvested New Zealand spinach shoots being weighed at 250 grams
Yield and Profitability of New Zealand Spinach Planted at Four Spacings |
POCKIAS, DANIEL L. APRIL 2013
Figure 8. Properly packed and labeled New Zealand spinach shoots ready for
delivery to the BSU organic market
Cost and Return Analysis
The different plant spacings have varied influence in the yield of New Zealand
spinach which affected the sales and net income. Table 4 shows that plants spaced at 50 x
50 cm have slightly higher yield and sales compared to the other plant spacings. However,
plants spaced at 40 x 40 cm obtained the highest income of P3,210.66 followed by the
Yield and Profitability of New Zealand Spinach Planted at Four Spacings |
POCKIAS, DANIEL L. APRIL 2013
plants spaced at 50 x 50 cm,35 x 35 cm and 45 x 45 cm with net income of P3,152.72,
P2,356.15 and P403.06, respectively. In the return on investment, plants spaced at 40 x 40
cm had 187.17% or P1.87 return for every peso spent in the production which was followed
by 50 x50 cm of 168.15% or P1.68 for every peso spent in the production and 35 x 35 cm
spacing with 147.36 % ROI. The lowest return on investment was obtained from the plants
spaced at 45 x 45 cm of 29.96%.
It was reported by Guntan (2010) that New Zealand spinach spaced at 40 x 40 cm
had the highest yield and net income but recommended the study of wider spacings as the
researcher still observe increasing yield from the spacings studied. From this follow up
study, the trend of increasing yield was observed from 35 x 35 cm to 50 x 50 cm but the
increase of yield from 40 x 40 cm and to 50 x 50 cm seem to be very insignificant, which
may suggest that the appropriate plant spacing for New Zealand spinach is 40 x 40 cm.
Based on the yield and the expenses incurred in this study, the production cost per
kilogram of New Zealand spinach is P 41.75.
Yield and Profitability of New Zealand Spinach Planted at Four Spacings |
POCKIAS, DANIEL L. APRIL 2013
Table 4. Cost and return analysis
PLANT SPACING
____________________________________________________
ITEM 35 x 35 cm 40 x 40 cm 45 x 45 cm 50 x 50 cm
________________________________________________________________________
YIELD (kg) 39.55 49.26 17.51 50.26
SALES (Php) 3,955.00 4,926.00 1,751.00 5,026.00
EXPENSES
Seedlings 58.50 49.50 45.96 41.79
Guano phosphate 11.78 9.97 9.06 9.06
Cellophane 67.67 84.91 30.17 87.06
Paper plate 113.97 143.02 50.82 146.65
Sticker 67.67 84.91 30.17 87.06
Scotch tape 5.02 6.30 2.24 6.46
Labor cost
Cleaning 31.25 31.25 31.25 31.25
Digging plots 46.87 46.87 46.87 46.87
Planting 78.12 78.12 46.87 46.87
Fertigation 7.81 7.81 7.81 7.81
Irrigation 46.87 46.87 46.87 46.87
Harvesting 875.00 937.00 812.00 1 ,125.00
Depreciation cost
G.I Pipes 80.12 80.12 80.12 80.12
Roofing 108.19 108.19 108.19 108.19
________________________________________________________________________
Expenses (Php) 1,598.85 1,715.34 1,347.44 1,847.28
Net/ loss (Php) 2,356.15 3,210.66 403.06 3,152.72
ROI % 147.36 187.17 29.96 168.15
Note: selling price per kilo of New Zealand spinach was Php100.00/kg at BSU organic
market.
Yield and Profitability of New Zealand Spinach Planted at Four Spacings |
POCKIAS, DANIEL L. APRIL 2013
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Summary
This study was conducted at BSU Organic Farm, in Balili La Trinidad, Benguet
from September 2012 to February 2013 to determine the plant spacing of New Zealand
spinach that allow enough space for development in four months harvesting duration,
determine the plant spacing that produce the heaviest yield and determine the profitability
of New Zealand spinach planted from various spacings.
Result of the study revealed that New Zealand spinach planted at 50 x 50 cm
produced more laterals branches in five months duration of harvesting but not significantly
different to plants spaced at 40 x 40 cm and 35 x 35 cm. The plants spaced 45 x 45 cm
had the lowest count of lateral branches but not significantly lower from35 x 35 cm.
In terms of income, plants spaced at 40 x 40 cm obtained the highest of P3,210.66
followed by 50 x 50 cm with P3,152.72, 35 x 35 cm with P2,356.15 and 45 x 45 cm with
P403.06. The production cost per kilogram of New Zealand spinach was computed to be
P41.75.
Conclusion
Based on the presented results and discussion, there is a corresponding increase in
yield of New Zealand spinach as the plant spacing is increased from 35 to 50 cm but it
appears that the optimum spacing for New Zealand spinach is 40 x 40 cm under the
condition of the experiment area to obtained the highest profit of P3,210.66.
Yield and Profitability of New Zealand Spinach Planted at Four Spacings |
POCKIAS, DANIEL L. APRIL 2013
Recommendations
It is therefore recommended, that New Zealand spinach be planted at a distance of
40 x 40 cm to obtain a good profit. It is further recommended that the results be verified
due to the early flowering of the plants from the 45 x 45 cm spacing.
Yield and Profitability of New Zealand Spinach Planted at Four Spacings |
POCKIAS, DANIEL L. APRIL 2013
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Yield and Profitability of New Zealand Spinach Planted at Four Spacings |
POCKIAS, DANIEL L. APRIL 2013