Performance of potato cultivars in an organic farming system using organic fertilizers, vermicompost and azolla

Abstract

The challenges of food shortages and environmental pollution require the development of safe and effective alternatives to chemical fertilizers. Two field experiments were conducted during the summer season of 2019/2020 in two locations on a private farm to evaluate the performance of three potato cultivars (Sponta, Cara, and Elbieda) under different fertilizer treatments. The experiment was laid out in a split-plot design replicated thrice. The main plots had three potato cultivars, while the sub plots were comprised of seven fertilizer treatments. The results showed that the highest vegetative growth characters, viz. plant height, leaf chlorophyll index, and plant dry weight were produced by Sponta, followed by Cara, while the lowest growth attributes were recorded in Elbeida. Compared to the NPK inorganic fertilizer, organic fertilizers significantly improved the vegetative growth characteristics of potato in all treatments. Among the organic treatments, the highest growth parameters were recorded with the application of mixed organic fertilizer, vermicompost, and Azollapinnata (T1). The highest yield, viz. tuber yield, number of tubers per plant, and tuber weight, and yield quality characteristics, viz. total carbohydrates, starch, and TSS, were also recorded in T1. Our results demonstrate that the Sponta cultivar grown with the application of mixed organic fertilizer, vermicompost, and Azollapinnata (T1) produced the highest growth, yield, and quality of potato tubers. Thus, we recommend this treatment combination as a sustainable agricultural practice for potato production in similar areas