PRODUCTION OF QUALITY HYBRID TRUE POTATO SEED (TPS) AS INFLUENCED BY NITROGEN SPLITTING AND BORON

Abstract

Quality True Potato Seed (TPS) is the main bottleneck for the utilization and expansion of potato production through TPS technology in Bangladesh. Some plant nutrients viz., Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), Potassium (K) and Boron (B) may put contribution for the production of quality TPS. To partially solve this problem an experiment was conducted in research field of Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka during the period from October, 2013 to April, 2014 to investigate the effect of split application of nitrogen (SN) and boron (B) on quality hybrid TPS. The TPS-67 (♂) and MF-II (♀) were used as male and female parent, respectively. The experiment consisted of two factors i.e., factor-A; nitrogen splitting (4 levels): SN = 2 split (conventional), SN 1 = 3 split, SN 2 = 4 split and SN = 5 split (SN); and factor-B; boron (4 levels): B 0 = 0 kg B ha -1 , B 1 = 4 kg B ha -1 , B 2 3 = 6 kg B ha -1 and B 3 0 = 8 kg B ha . The experiment was laid out in a split-plot design with three replications, whereas SN and B were treated as main plot and sub-plot, respectively. The nitrogen splitting and/or boron had significant effect on most of the parameters studied in this experiment. Results revealed that most of the growth, flowering, berry, TPS and quality traits significantly increased with increasing split application of N up to SN which was statistically similar to SN . Similar trends of above mentioned parameters were also found in B application. Among the 16 treatment combinations, significantly the highest yield of berries (t ha 2 -1 ) found in SN 2 B 0 3 (14.83 t) and the lowest from SN . The maximum yield of TPS was found from SN 1 B 3 (172.81 kg ha -1 ) and the minimum from SN 0 B 0 . The maximum weight of 100-TPS was found from SN (86.87 mg); whereas, the minimum from SN 0 B 0 . True potato seed produced from SN contained maximum protein (11.01 %), lipid (21.95 %) and also performed maximum germination (98.11 %), whereas the SN 0 B exhibited worst one. Though, the combination of SN 1 B 3 0 (3 split applications of N and 8 kg B ha 3 -1 ) produced the maximum TPS yield (172.81 kg ha -1 ) but, on the basis of quality parameters; 100-TPS weight (mg), protein (%), lipid (%) and (%) germination (%); SN and SN 2 B combinations showed statistical similar results. In conclusion, the combination of SN 2 2 B 2 (4 split applications of N and 6 kg B ha -1 ) is the best for producing quality TPS from potato mother plant under prevailing climatic condition of Bangladesh.

3 B B 3 3 3 B 3 , SN 2 -1 B 3 0 B 0