Studies On Effect Of Fortification Of Soil

Indian spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) is one of the major leafy vegetable grown and consumed in India. In India spinach commonly known as palak and it is popular due to its high nutritive value belongs to genus Spinacia species S. oleracea and family Amaranthaceae with Chromosome number 2n=18. It is a commonly grown leafy vegetable throughout the tropical and subtropical regions. It is an annual plant which grows to a height of up to 30 cm. The leaves are alternate simple ovate to triangular based very variable in size from about 2-30 cm long and 1-15 cm broad with larger leaves at the base of the plant and small leaves higher on the flowering stem. Spinach is a low growing fleshly leaved annual that forms a heavy rosette of either smooth or wrinkled leaves. Vegetables especially those of leafy vegetable grown in heavy metals contaminated soils because of the fact they absorb these metals through their leaves. Spinach has a high nutritional value and is extremely rich in antioxidants especially when fresh steamed or quickly boiled.