Determination of Some Morphological Features of Spinach Populations

Spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) is one of the most important winter vegetables used for its edible green leaves. Due to the increase in demand in most parts of the world, significant changes have occurred in production amounts in the last ten years. Based on use, spinach leaves are broadly divided into three types: (i) savoy type (used for fresh market), (ii) processing type (smooth leaf type with flat, unwrinkled and spade-shaped leaves), and (iii) flavor and delicate. Due to its structure, it is baby spinach that is preferably used in salads. There is a need for sufficient biological, taxonomic, genetic and agronomic knowledge about spinach populations in order to investigate spinach populations, develop new varieties and be successful in their studies.In this study, 157 spinach genotypes belonging to the S2 grade, which consists of domestic and commercial varieties, were evaluated to determine their diversity by using agro-morphological characteristics in order to determine their performance as a winter vegetable in our country. The studied genotypes are an important resource for the establishment of the world's core spinach collection. As a result, spinach genotypes, which were agro-morphologically characterized according to IPGRI criteria, showed high morphological diversity. It is thought that the results of the present study will support the conservation and use of local species in spinach cultivation programs.