Indian Spinach / Basella

Introduction Basella alba commonly known as poi,

Malabar nightshade, Vine spinach, basella, Climbing spinach and Indian spinach is a popular summer leafy vegetable grown in almost all parts of India.

The plants has fleshy stem and leaves and is of a trailing habit.

Besides, India, it is widely cultivated in tropical Asia, Africa and tropical areas of the new world.

Indian spinach is commonly grown for its leaves and young shoots.

Composition and Uses• It is a excellent source of calcium (109mg), iron (10mg), vitamin A (8,000 IU),

vitaminC (102mg) and folic acid (140μg) per 100g of fresh weight. • Roots are employed as rubefacient.• Poultice of leaves used to reduce local swelling.• The colouring matter present in the red cultivar is reported to have been used as a

dye. • The juice of leaves is prescribed in cases of constipation, particularly for children

and pregnant women. • It contain saponin that act as phytochemicals. Fight against cancer and other

diseases. • Sap can be applied to acne areas to eliminate irritation. The sap has a softening or

soothing effect especially to the skin. • Leaf juice with butter has a soothing effects on burns and scalds. Stems and leaf

extract can cure habitual headache. • Good source of fibers.• Good substitute for spinach.

Origin and Taxonomy • The crop is thought to be originated in Asia

and more particularly in India. • India, being the primary centre of diversity

for Basella. • It belongs to the family Basellaceae and

genus Basella.• There is only one species B. rubra

(2n=2x=24) which is very variable. • Basella is a fleshy annual or biennial,

twining much branched herb with alternate, broadly entire leaves. Leaves are broadly ovate and pointed at the apex.

• Flowers are white or pink, small sessile in clusters on elongated thickened peduncles in an open branched inflorescence.

• Fruit is enclosed in fleshy perianth.

CULTIVARS • There is mainly two distinct types of cultivars

i) reddish petioles and stems (Basella alba var. rubra)ii) green leaves, petioles and stems (Basella alba var. alba)

• Both red and green leaved cultivars are consumed as vegetables but green-leaved cultivars are commonly cultivated and belongs to var. alba.

• The red-leaved and green-leaved cultivars are equally common in West Bengal, Assam and south India, while the green-leaved ones are more popular in UP and Punjab.

• All the cultivars are trained on poles, pandals, trellis or grown on ground.

• Important cultivars are:i) VRBASELLA-11 bears dark green caudate leaves which are very soft and succulent. Stem is thick but soft and become ready for harvest in 40 days after planting.ii) IC561377 is a late flowering genotype. The plant is twining in habit and bears dark green ovate leaves on purple stem. The flowering starts in December and it produces tender leaves and stem even during winter season.iii) EC769321-1 bears snow white flowers. Immature fruit is green in colour without any pinkish or purple tinge.

Soils and Climate

• The crop grows best in sandy loam soils rich in organic matter with pH ranging from 5.5 to 8.0.

• Adequate moisture and partial shade result in better growth of the plant and formation of bigger succulent leaves.

• Optimum temperature is 25-32˚C• Cultivation of this crop should be avoided in region

affected by frost. The crop is usually grown during warm and moist seasons.

Sowing and Seed rate• Basella is commercially propagated through

seeds but stem or root cuttings are also practiced.

• In the northern and eastern part of India, seeds are sown from March to May, while in the southern parts it is grown twice, once in July and again in October to November.

• Late spring or early summer is the best time for sowing in the hills.

• Spacing – 45cm x 45cm• Plants are allowed to sprawl over the ground. • The crop is also raised on bamboo stakes or

trained in trellis. In such cases, seeds are sown 20-25cm apart in rows at the base of bamboo stakes or trellis.

• Seed rate – 12-15kg/ha

Manuring and Fertilization

• Rich soil is essential for a good crop and only nitrogenous fertilizer application has been found beneficial.

• Apply 200-300q well decomposed FYM or compost /ha at the time of field preparation. It is essential to supply 60-80kg N, 40-60 kg each of phosphorous and potassium /ha to raise healthy crop.

• Phosphorous and potassium are applied as basal dose whereas nitrogen in two to three split doses.

Irrigation and Interculture

• Sufficient moisture is needed to produce rapid and succulent growth. Inadequate moisture may lead to thin, wiry stems and small leaves.

• The crop, in general requires 5-6 irrigations when grown in summer and the frequency of irrigation depends on the soil type.

• Intercultural operations are to be done as and when necessary. The field should be kept free from weeds.

Harvesting and Yield

• Crop raised from seeds will produce edible leaves and stems after 8-10 weeks from sowing.

• The plants raised from root or stem cuttings will be ready for harvest in about 6 weeks after planting.

• Yield – 40-50 t/ha.

Diseases and pestsThe most important diseases infesting this crop are:1) Damping off ( Pythium aphanidermatum )

Management : before sowing, hot water treatment of seed at 52˚C for

30 min should be done. Spray mancozeb (2.5g/lt), carbendazim (1g/lt) .2) Leaf spot ( Acrothecium basellae, Fusarium

moniliforme and Cercospora sp. )Management :

Seed treatment with carbendazim. Spray crop with bavistin @ 0.1%3) Mosaic due to undefined virus.

The crop is almost free from insect attack though a minor incidence of caterpillars are reported.

Seed production • Basella produce seeds freely during spring in North

India and during winter in South and East India. • The agronomic practices followed for seed production

are similar to that for vegetable purpose. • Proper isolation distances should be maintained

between two cultivars for producing nucleus and foundation seeds. Seeds don’t shed from the fruits and hence can be left on plant to become fully mature.

• The ripe fleshy fruits borne in cluster on elongated peduncles are usually collected and seeds are extracted. The seeds are then dried and kept in storage.