EFFECT OF ORGANIC AND MINERAL FERTILIZERS ON PRODUCTIVITY AND QUALITY OF POTATO: 1- VEGETATIVE GROWTH.

Abstract

This study was conducted during the two successive winter seasons of 2003/2004 and 2004/2005 at Basandela village, Belqas, Dakahlia Governorate, Egypt. The objective of this experiment was to study the response of potato (Solanum tuberosum L. cv. Spunta) to organic manure sources (Chicken, farmyard manures and Compost), inorganic fertilizers and their interaction on the plant growth. The experimental design was split plot design with three replicates in both seasons of study. The three sources of organic manure occupied in the main plots, while the inorganic fertilizers treatments occupied the sub plots. The results indicated that most of plant height, leaves area/plant, number of leaves/plant, fresh weight of leaves/plant (g), fresh and dry weights of stems/plant (g) and total chlorophyll content in leaves were significantly increased with chicken manure compared with compost or FYM in both seasons of study. Plant height, number of stems, leaves area/plant, number of leaves/plant, fresh weight of leaves/plant (g), fresh and dry weights of stems/plant (g) and total chlorophyll content in leaves were significantly increased with the application of 50% organic manure + 50 % inorganic manure in both seasons of study. The interaction between organic and NPK fertilization indicted that plant height, number of stems, leaves area/plant, fresh and dry weights of stems/plant were not affected by this interaction. On the other side, number of leaves/plant, fresh and dry weights of leaves and total chlorophyll content in leaves were increased with the application of 50% chicken manure and 50 % inorganic fertilizer in both seasons of study.