YIELD AND TUBER QUALITY OF POTATO VARIETIES AS INFLUENCED BY ORGANIC MANURE AND MULCH MATERIAL

Abstract

Five experiments were conducted at agronomy field laboratory of Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University (SAU), Dhaka, Bangladesh and two others potato growing regions of Rajbari and Thakurgaon districts of Bangladesh during three consecutive years from 2014-2015 to 2016-2017 to study the performance of some selected potato varieties and their quality improvement through agronomic practices. The first four experiments were conducted at SAU experimental field and the fifth was conducted in three AEZs like AEZ-28, AEZ-12 and AEZ-1 for SAU campus, Dhaka, Rajbari district and Thakurgaon, respectively. Experiments were laid out in RCBD design with three replications. The results reveal that BARI Alu-25 showed highest yield at all locations and at Thakurgaon location the yield was 5.92% and 5.79% higher than Dhaka and Rajbari locations, respectively. Considering marketable yield and >75 g sized tuber yield, the highest (32.84 and 16.08 t ha -1 , respectively) was found with BARI Alu-25 (V 1 ) at Thakurgaon. In case of processing quality tuber, BARI Alu-29 (V 3 ) gave highest chips tuber yield (27.34 t ha -1 ), chips tuber number (66.95). The highest tuber dry matter (23.32%) and specific gravity value (1.10) were also revealed with BARI Alu-29. But BARI Alu-25 gave highest french fry tuber yield (6.74, 6.38 and 6.20 t ha -1 ) at Rajbari, Dhaka and Thakurgaon location, respectively. Application of poultry litter (O 2 ) showed the highest yield in Rajbari, Dhaka and Thakurgaon (39.13, 37.87 and 37.75 t ha -1 ) which was 52.68, 43.67 and 39.87%, higher yield respectively over no manure treatment. Poultry litter (O 2 ) also gave the highest tuber number hill 1 -1 (7.78 no.) and tuber weight hill -1 (0.39 kg), chips tuber yield (27.62 t ha ) and chips tuber number (58.40 %). Poultry litter gave the highest dry matter (24.49%) at Rajbari. The highest specific gravity, total soluble solid were contributed by (O 2 ) poultry litter which was similar with (O 1 ) cowdung. In case of mulching, water hyacinth (M 1 ), rice straw (M 2 ) and rice husk (M 3 ) gave non-significant yield but numerically rice straw (M 2 ) gave the highest yield (33.33 t ha ) and highest marketable yield (31.83 t ha -1 ) at Dhaka. Rice straw gave highest chips tuber (56.91 %), higher dry matter (22.23%), specific gravity (1.079) and total soluble solid -1

(6.58 - o

Brix) than other two mulch materials. The performance of rice straw as mulch material seems superior than other mulches due to its wider availability throughout the country as well as in potato growing region. The interaction of V 1 5

O 2 (BARI Alu-25 × poultry litter) contributed the highest tuber yield (42.46 t ha -1 ), highest tuber weight hill (0.39 kg). Rajbari location gave highest chips tuber yield (31.09 t ha -1 ) with V 3 (BARI Alu-29 × poultry litter) interaction, french fry tuber yield (8.12 t ha

(BARI Alu-25 × cowdung) interaction and dry matter weight (25.53%) with V 2

(BARI Alu-28 × cowdung). On the other hand, the interaction of V 1 O 3 (BARI Alu25 × ACI organic fertilizer × cowdung) and V 1 O 2 M 2 (BARI Alu-25 × poultry litter × rice straw) found promising for higher yield (42.36 and 40.95 t ha -1 , respectively) of potato tuber.