Soil and foliar iron fertilization on terrestrial Water spinach (Ipomoea reptans) for Biofortification

Abstract

Prevalence of iron deficiency anemia is emerging as serious. The major cause is due to low bioavailability of non-heme iron from the diets. Water spinach or kolmi-shak is a wide spread and easily available green leafy vegetable in the terai region of West Bengal. Biofortification is a very useful strategy to increase mineral concentration of the crop and bio-availability of iron which will helps in reducing the emerging iron deficiency anemia. Field experiments were conducted during 2016 and 2017 to find out the most viable mode and source of iron fertilizer as biofortification strategy and to study iron uptake pattern under different mode and iron fertilizer source. The experiment was laid out in split plot design with 9 treatments and 3 replications. It has been noticed that the application of FeSO4, 7H2O (Ferrous sulphate heptahydrate) through 50% of recommended dose through soil application (1.25 kg/ ha) and 50% recommended dose through foliar spray (0.5 g/litre of water) at 4 weeks after sowing resulted in highest amount of iron content (7.52 mg/100g, 7.39 mg/100g and 7.28 mg/100g) in 1st, 2nd and 3rdharvesting in green leaves of water spinach.