INTRODUCTION
Background information
Spinach is a leafy vegetable that is known to be rich in vitamins and
minerals. When consumed, it helps prevent constipation and promote
healthy digestion. Another advantageous thing about spinach is that it
strengthens the immune system and help the body to fight against
diseases. The reason why spinach crop was used in the research project,
it is because it grows fast and responds well to fertilizers.
Superphosphate fertilizer is a fertilizer containing readily available
phosphorus needed for spinach plant’s growth and root development. A
study was then conducted as the agricultural science students realized
that the spinach plants had poor growth and poor root development, and
this might be due to lack of phosphorous.
Research question
Does the addition of 30g/m2 of superphosphate fertilizer increase the
mass of spinach plants per unit area?
Purpose of the study
The aim of the study was to determine if the addition of superphosphate
would influence the yield of spinach. The findings would probably help the
agricultural science students to determine the importance of application
of superphosphate fertilizer on the yield of spinach.
Literature review
According to Islam (2019) addition of superphosphate fertilizer enhances
seed germination and seed quality. After doing a research project, he
indeed found out that applying superphosphate fertilizer to a spinach
yield gives out highest seed yield and best seed germination.
According to Singh and Kumar (2017) application of superphosphate
fertilizer improves plant’s height, leaf size and mass of spinach plants. To
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prove his findings, he also applied superphosphate fertilizer to spinach
yield and the spinach plants produced large sized leaves and had richer
green colour which indicated high chlorophyll content. The spinach plants
also had a greater mass.
These studies had some limitations, Md. Rafiqul Islam’s work focused on
a single soil type and used few replications, which means the results may
not apply to other conditions. Singh and Kumar mainly looked at short-
term plant growth and did not study the long-term effects on soil health
or the environment. Together, these gaps show the need for further
research that tests superphosphate on different soils, with more
replications, and examines its impact on soil quality over time. This
research aims to address these issues.
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METHODOLOGY
Research design
An experimental research project was carried out in Lotsane senior
secondary school eastern garden which was 1½ ha. A Randomized
Complete Block Design (RCBD) was used to design the experiment, with
two treatment and two replications. Treatment (1) superphosphate
fertilizer was not added while in treatment (2) 30g/m 2 of superphosphate
fertilizer was added. A 5.5m x 1m plot was prepared and then divided into
four equal subplots of 1m x 1m, two subplots for control (superphosphate
fertilizer was not added) and two subplots for treatment (superphosphate
fertilizer added).
Sampling procedures
For data collection sampling was not done since the plant population was
low.
Since there were four subplots, the ballot paper randomization method
was used to allocate the treatments plots and the control plots. A full
piece of plain paper was divided into four pieces, two were written
treatment and two were written control. The pieces were then folded and
tossed, and one piece was thrown to each of the four subplots. After
accumulating the papers into each subplot, the papers were opened to
see which subplot had to be treated and which one had to be controlled.
This method was used to avoid bias.
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1m
C1: control 1m
0.5m
KEY T1:
Treatment
5.5m
Control
C2: control
treatmen
t
T2:
Treatment
Data collection
Spinach plants were harvested once, and the data was collected 10
weeks after seedling emergence. Fresh mass of spinach was measured for
each subplot. All the spinach plants from subplot 1 were uprooted using a
hand fork. They were then made into one whole bundle. The soil was
removed by washing the spinach plants into water pond. The same
process was done to the spinach plants in the remaining three subplot. To
measure the mass of spinach plants, a 0.001kg x 6kg digital scale was
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used. The scale was placed on a flat surface to avoid the zero error. The
scale was set to zero and then the bundle from subplot 1 was placed on
the scale. The readings were then recorded. The spinach bundle was then
removed, and the same procedure was done to the remaining bundles
from the three subplots.
Data analysis techniques
The yield of spinach was calculated using the formula:
Yield of spinach plants=
mass of spinach plants ¿ treatment /control subplot ∈g ¿ treatment /control subplot ∈m2 ¿
total unit area ¿
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RESULTS
A research project was carried out to find out about the effect of
superphosphate fertilizer on the yield of spinach. A table was used to
present the results.
Table 1.1 shows the mass of spinach plants per unit area in treatment
subplot (superphosphate added) and in control subplot (superphosphate
not added).
Experimental Mass of spinach plants per unit area in
trial kg/m2
Treatment 329.0
control 199.5
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DISCUSSIONS
Addition of superphosphate fertilizer increases the mass of spinach plants
per unit area.
The spinach plants from treatment plot had 329.0kg which was a greater
mass unlike the spinach plants from control plot which had a mass of
199.5kg which is smaller mass. This is because superphosphate fertilizer
aid in the growth of spinach and root development. Therefore, spinach
plants that were treated with superphosphate had a greater growth in
length and in development of roots unlike the ones that were not treated
with superphosphate, they had poor growth as well as poor root
development.
According to Md. Rafiqul Islam, he mentioned that application of
superphosphate fertilizer enhances seed germination and seed quality.
The results of this research correlate with Md. Rafiqul Islam’s findings
because looking the treatment plot, it had improved seed germination as
well as seed quality unlike the spinach plants from the control plot.
According to Singh and Kumar, he found out that the application of
superphosphate fertilizer improves spinach plant’s height, leaf size and
increases the mass of spinach plants. Looking at the results of the
research, spinach plants from the treatment plot had an improvement in
the height, the leaf size as well as the mass. This is evidence that indeed
Singh and Kumar’s findings are consistent with the results of this
research.
In this research project, there were limitations that hindered the
agricultural science students from getting better mass. The spinach’s
leaves were eaten by the pests which lead to a decrease in the mass of
spinach plants. As an agricultural science researcher suggest that
shading nets should be used so that the pests like birds cannot easily
feed on them. It is recommended that ladybirds are used to feed on pests
like aphids.
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CONCLUSION
Yes, the addition of 30g/m2 of superphosphate fertilizer have an increase
on the mass of spinach plants per unit area. Spinach plants that were
treated with superphosphate fertilizer had greater mass than the ones
that were not treated with superphosphate fertilizer.
The presence of phosphorus in the superphosphate fertilizer made a
positive effect on the spinach plants which include of an improvement in
the plant’s growth and root which lead to an increase in the mass of
spinach plants. The following are some potential implications on the
application of superphosphate fertilizer to yield of spinach:
Improved farm profitability: Higher yields at optimal fertilizer rates
can boost income for farmers.
Environmental benefits: Using the correct amount of
superphosphate minimizes nutrient leaching and soil degradation,
supporting environmental sustainability.
Policy and extension support: Findings could guide agricultural
extension services and government programs in setting
recommended fertilizer rates.
Future research opportunities: Results may inspire further studies
on long-term soil fertility, spinach nutrient uptake, and alternative
fertilization methods.
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RECOMMENDATIONS
The agricultural science students of Lotsane senior secondary are
encouraged to apply 30g/m2 of superphosphate fertilizer to the spinach
yield as it increases the mass of spinach per unit area. There are
strategies that can be used to implement the recommendations, these
include of the following:
Optimal application rate: the superphosphate fertilizer should be
applied at scientifically determined rates to avoid over or under
fertilization.
Timing of the application: the superphosphate fertilizer should be
applied before and during the production of spinach plants.
Soil testing and monitoring: the routine should be conducted to
determine the phosphorus level and adjust fertilizer inputs.
The recommendations have a positive impact on the study as it helps
increase the productivity of spinach plants. They are very advantageous
as they improve spinach yield and quality, maintain soil health and
enhances the farmer’s knowledge. Therefore, the agricultural researchers
are recommended to assess long term soil health under repeated
application.
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REFERENCE
International Journal of Applied Research, 5(5), 47–51 (2019). Effect of
nitrogen and phosphorus on the growth and seed yield of spinach.
Retrieved on 25 May 2025 from:
[Link]
Journal of Horticultural Science, 12(2), 112–118 (2017). Effect of
superphosphate on growth and yield of spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.).
Retrieved on 25 May 2025 from:
[Link]
354651005_Effect_of_different_levels_of_nitrogen_and_phosphorus_on_growth_and_yi
eld_of_spinach_Spinacea_oleracea_L_cv_all_green
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APPENDICES
The study was done to find out about the effects of superphosphate on
the yield of spinach. The data was collected and presented in a table.
Table 1.1 shows the mass of spinach plants.
EXPERIMENTAL Mass of spinach Subplot per
TRIAL plants in kg m2
T1:(30g/m2 of 1
superphosphate 359
applied)
T2 :(30g/m2 of 299 1
superphosphate
applied)
C1:(no application of 199 1
superphosphate)
C2:(no application of 200 1
superphosphate)
Calculations
Yield of spinach plants=
mass of spinach plants ¿ treatment /control subplot ∈g ¿ treatment /control subplot ∈m2 ¿
total unit area ¿
For treatment
(treatment)yield of spinach plants=
mass of spinach¿ treatment 1+mass of spinach¿ treatment 2 ¿ treatment 1+unit area ¿ treatment 2¿
unit area ¿
(359 kg +299 kg)
(treatment)Yield of spinach plants =
(1 m2 +1 m2 )
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658 kg
= 2
2m
=329.0kg/m2
For control
(control)yield of spinach plants=
mass of spinach¿ control1+mass of spinach ¿ control 2 ¿ control 1+unit area¿ control2 ¿
unit area¿
(199 kg +200 kg)
(control)Yield of spinach plants =
(1 m2 +1 m2 )
(399 kg)
(control)yield of spinach plants=
(2 m2 )
=199.5kg/m 2
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