YIELD AND QUALITY OF POTATO AS INFLUENCED BY BIOADSORBENT IN ARSENIC TREATED SOIL

Abstract

About 3 million hectare land of Bangladesh is covered by groundwater sources for Irrigation and a significant portion of Irrigation water is arsenic (As) contaminated. To produce safe potato under As contarnmated soil. a pot experiment was conducted in the experimental field of Sher-e-Bangia Agncultuml University. Dhaka during the period from November 2020 to Apnl 2021 to find out thc effect of nee husk 3S an bro-adsorbent to decontaminate As toxicity in potato. TIle experiment consisted of two factors. Factor A: Arsenic levels (4) vi:.. ASo:control (0 mg As kg" soil). As,: 20 mg As kg I soil. Asj: 40 mg As kg·1 soil. and Asc 60 mr As kg" soil. Factor B: Rice husk levels (4) viz .• Ro: control (0 g kg I soil), RI: 20 g kg" soil. Rl: 40 g kg' soil and RJ: 60 g kg" soil. TIIC experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Data were recorded on yield and some quality contributing parameters of potato. Results revealed that As and/or rice husk had significant effect on most of the yield lind quality contributing parameters studied in this experiment. The result revealed that number of tubers plan r1 gradually increased with increasing both As and rice husk levels. On the other hand. mean tuber weight decreased with increasing As level, but in case of rice husk and their combination had no effect this parameter, Yield of potato (g plant') gradually decreased with the increase of As levels while increased with increasing rice husk levels. The maximum yields (runge 399.33- 416.67 g plant I) were obtained from ASoR2• ASoR,. As1RI, AsIRl and As,RJ whereas, the minimum was from As)RJ (350.33 g plant I). Specific gravity and dry matter content of both flesh and peel showed negative trends with increasing As levels in soil. vice- versa results were recorded from rice husk levels. The combined effects of As and rice husk had significant effect on specific gravity, but not on both flesh and peel dry mailer content. The highest specific gravity (1.0749 g ern") was observed from~. Therefore. potato growers can grow potato up to 20 mg As kg" contaminated soil treated with 20 g rice husk kgl soil. which contains safe As load than the critical one (0.157 mg As kg -I FW) for human consumption