Research on the effects of hydrophonic and soil growing techniques on yield and quality parameters of spinach growing in greenhouse and open field conditions

The research was carried out in the glass greenhouse and open field areas of the Research and Application Field of the Agricultural Faculty of Akdeniz University. The seeds of Matador spinach were sown in either Styrofoam cells in rockwool for aquaculture or directly in soil for open field production. Spinach grown in water culture was ready for harvest after 60-65 days of planting while the soil grown ones were harvested after 90-95 days of planting. There was no significant difference between the yields of soil and water culture grown spinaches. Open field grown spinaches had longer plant height compared to that obtained from spinaches grown in greenhouse in both water culture and soil growing conditions. Although there was not much difference in the root weights of the spinaches grown in both soil and water culture, the differences in root length were significant. Number of leaves and outer leaves, outer leaf and stem weights, leaf area, leaf lengths, leaf widths, leaf lamina weights, leaf and stem thicknesses, stem lengths and weights and leaf dry weights were significantly changed in cultivation systems. Leaf Ca, N, P, K and Fe contents were higher in soil grown spinach compared to that found in water culture grown spinach. Nitrate accumulation in spinach growing in aquaculture was considerably higher than that found in soil growing ones. The lowest nitrate accumulation was detected in spinach grown in soil. The maximum chlorophyll content was measured in the spinach grown in the water culture in the greenhouse conditions.