Effect of Bio-Fertilizer and Potassium Spraying on the Growth and Yield of Potatoes for Autumn Season

Abstract

The experiment was conducted in the fields of a farmer in the Al-Dila area / south of Babylon provainc, at a longitude of 44.39 E and a latitude of 32.3 N, 17 km south of the Hilla city. To study the effect of biofertilizer and potassium source on improving the performance, growth and production of potatoes, the experiment was designed according to a split plot-System using a randomized complete block design with three replicates. The results of the experiment were statistically analyzed according to the method of analysis of variance and according to the significant differences between the treatments at the probability level of 0.05 using the least significant difference LSD. The results showed that there were significant differences when adding bio-fertilizer in most of the vegetative, quantitative and qualitative traits of potato plants, as the addition of bio-fertilizer Fulzyme (12 kg. ha-1) was significantly excelled in plant height, number of stems, number of leaves, number of total tubers and number of marketable tubers, As for the qualitative traits, it gave the highest rate in the percentage of protein and carbohydrates. The results of spraying with potassium source indicated that there were significant differences in most of the vegetative, quantitative and qualitative traits, where the spraying treatment with potassium sulfate at a concentration of (3 ml. L-1) was achieved. Significantly excelled in the number of main stems, the average marketing weight of the tuber, and the treatment of spraying with nano-potassium at a concentration (2 g. L-1) was significantly excelled in the total plant yield amounting to (1.069 kg. plant-1 and 56.44 tons. ha-1), the yield marketable (54.26 tons. ha-1), the percentage of carbohydrates in the tubers, While the spraying treatment with potassium silicate at a concentration of (3 ml. L-1) achieved significantly excelled in plant height, number of leaves, number of total and marketable tubers, and the percentage of protein in tubers. The two interactions showed a significant effect on most of the vegetative, quantitative and qualitative growth traits of potato plants. The bi-interaction treatment, adding Fulzyme + spraying with potassium silicate, achieved a significantly excelled in the traits of the total yield per ton, which amounted to (61.56 tons. ha-1) and the marketable yield per ton reached(59.41 tons. ha-1).