Ensuring food security of smallholder farmers through improving productivity and nutrition of potato

Abstract

In a time of extremely high population growth, loss of arable land and climate change effects, the food security issue is becoming more and more important. Thus, improving the food security of smallholder farmers is a major concern particularly in developing countries. In this regard potato is one of the important cash crops which contributes for food security and reduces poverty among smallholder farmers in developing countries like Ethiopia. However, the productivity of the crops is constrained by the limitation of soil macronutrient majorly nitrogen, phosphorus and sulfur (NPS). Therefore, this research was conducted with the aim to determine the optimum and economical use of NPS fertilizer to maximize potato productivity. A factorial combination of four rates of soil macronutrients and three potato varieties were used in a Randomized Complete Block Design with three replications. The result revealed that soil macronutrients and potato variety had significantly influenced phenology, growth, yield and quality components. Interaction effects of soil macronutrients and variety had significantly affected total and marketable tuber yield of potato. The marginal rate of return of 7370% was obtained from the Wabi variety with the application of 200 kg ha−1 soil macronutrients (NPS) is the highest rate. Therefore, growing the Wabi variety of potato with 200 kg ha−1 of soil macronutrients (NPS) resulted in high productivity and economic returns of the crop. Since the experiment was conducted in one season and location, it has to be repeated over seasons and locations to make a conclusive recommendation.