Abstract:
A field experiment was conducted at the Horticulture Farm of Sher
e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka during the period from November
2006 to February 2007 to investigate the effect of mulching and fertilizer
management practices on the growth and yield of potato. The experiment
was conducted with three mulching treatments; No mulch (MJ), Black
polythene mulch (M1) and Water hyacinth (M2) and three fertilizer
management practices; organic fertilizer ( cowdung) (F
inorganic
fertilizer (F2) and organic (cowdung) + inorganic (F3). The experiment was
laid out in RCBD with nine treatments combinations and three replications.
The maximum plant height (77.09cm), number of main stem (4.09),
number of tubers per hill (6.88), weight of tubers per hill (366.33g), extra
large tuber (>55mm) both by number and weight high were recorded when
M1 treatment applied. On the other hand, maximum numbers of main stem
(3.96), dry weight of haulm per hill ( l l. l 6g), number of tuber per hill
(6.11) weight of tuber per hill (333.05g), mean tuber weight (54.22g) was
found when F3 treatment applied. The highest yield of tuber (19.30 t/ha)
was obtained from the plants grown with M1 treatment and the lowest
(13.43 t/ha) from the Mo treatment. The fertilizer treatment F3 gave the
highest yield (19.22 t/ha) while the minimum (13.54 t/ha) was obtained
from F2 treatment. The combination black polythene mulch with organic
(cowdung) + inorganic fertilizer gave maximum yield (22.29 t/ha). On the
basis of cost benefit analysis the highest benefit cost ratio was obtained
from M1F3 treatment combination.
