EFFECTS OF NUMBER OF NODES AND CUTTING POSITION ON MORPHO-PHYSIOLOGICAL ATTRIBUTES AND YIELD OF SWEET POTATO

Abstract

The sweet potato is an alternative energy source but its sustainability depends on higher yield. A field experiment was conducted at Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University farm, Dhaka during the period from October 2019 to April 2020, to investigate the effects of number of nodes and cutting position on morphophysiological

attributes and yield of sweet potato. The experiment was consisted of nine treatments, and followed Randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. Treatments (9) viz, T 0 = 3 nodes from top cut, T = 3 nodes from middle cut, T 2 = 3 nodes from basal cut, T 3 = 5 nodes from top cut, T 1 = 5 nodes from middle cut, T 5 = 5 nodes from basal cut, T 6 = 7 nodes from top cut, T 4 = 7 nodes from middle cut and T 8 7 = 7 nodes from basal cut. Data on different parameters were collected for assessing results for this experiment and showed significant variation in respect of node number and cutting position of vine of sweet potato. Among different treatments T (5 nodes from top cut) out performed from all the other treatments and recorded maximum number of tubers plant 3 -1 (5.15), total weight of tuber plant (867.00 g), weight of marketable tuber plant -1 (802.00 g), total weight of tuber plot (10 kg), tubers yield (27.56 t ha -1 ) and dry matter (30.85 %) of tuberous root of sweet potato comparable to other treatments. The performance of T 0 -1 -1 (3 nodes from top) and T (7 nodes from top) were also significantly better. Thus for propagating of sweet potato through vine, 5 node from top cut is suitable for achieving higher yield. 6