OPTIMIZING NUTRIENT LEVELS FOR EARLY GROWTH OF AFRICAN SPINACH (AMARANTHUS SPP.) IN A HYDROPONIC SYSTEM

Abstract

The experiment was carried out to determine how varied nutrient levels affect the growth and development of African spinach at the screen house of the department of agriculture and industrial technology, Babcock University, the experiment was conducted during the month of March to April 2024.The treatments consisted of four different nutrient concentration (control, 0.2mL, 0.6mL, and 0.8mL of Agriful© Fertilizer solution) and soil as conventional planting method. African Spinach seeds were grown into a wick hydroponic unit containing coco coir. Data were collected of plant height, number of leaves, stem girth, and root length over a period of five weeks. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) along with Duncan Multiple Range Test was carried out to determine the impact of nutrient content on the observed agronomic attributes. Results obtained shows a clear influence of nutrient content on the early development of African spinach. The result further revealed that, higher nutrient concentrations were associated with taller plants, thicker stems, and longer roots. However, the results indicated that wick hydroponic system did not perform as well as the soil control. These findings highlight the necessity of regulating nutrient contents in wick hydroponic systems for efficient African spinach growth. Nutrient availability must be balanced to achieve optimal early development and long-term growth of the crop. More research on the long-term impacts of nutrient concentration on yield and quality is recommended to improve nutrient management for commercial hydroponic production of African spinach.