Plant Canopy, Tuber Yield and Growth Analysis of Potato under Moderate and Severe Drought Condition

Abstract

Four CIP potato clones with 1 check variety Asterix were grown during 2010-11 and 2011-12 at Horticulture Research Farm of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University, Gazipur, Bangladesh to observe the effect of water stress on canopy structure, yield and growth rate of potato. The study validated that all the genotypes showed reduction in plant height, number of above ground shoots per plant, tuber number per plant and yield by different degrees of drought. Significant yield reduction was found among the genotypes due to drought treatments. Genotype CIP 396244.12 and CIP 393371.58 performed better in severe drought condition in producing higher number of tuber per plant and yield. CIP 396244.12 produced the highest leaf area index in all drought treatments whereas the CIP 391004.18 produced the minimum. In all stage of growth, crop growth rate was affected by different drought treatments where CIP 396244.12 showed the highest crop growth rate followed by CIP 393371.58 and CIP 391004.18 being the lowest. Under severe and moderate drought condition genotype CIP 396244.12 maintained a higher tuber growth rate but under well watered condition CIP 396244.12 and Asterix achieved superior.