Studies on Integrated Nutrient Management and Growth Regulator Application on Production, Productivity, Quality and Economics of Processing Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.)

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted at the Students’ Research Farm, Khalsa College, Amritsar during rabi season of 2021-22. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Block Design (RBD) with ten treatments viz., T1 (Control), T2 (100% RDF), T3 (70% RDF + 30% FYM), T4 (70% RDF + 30% Compost), T5 (70% RDF + 30% Poultry manure), T6 (70% RDF + 30% FYM + Mepiquat chloride @ 1250 ml/ha), T7 (70% RDF + 30% Compost + Mepiquat chloride @ 1250 ml/ha), T8 (70% RDF + 30% Poultry manure + Mepiquat chloride @ 1250 ml/ha), T9 (33.3% FYM + 33.3% Compost + 33.3% Poultry manure) and T10 (25% RDF + 25% FYM + 25% Compost + 25% Poultry manure + Mepiquat chloride @ 1250 ml/ha) with three replications. The data obtained revealed that treatment T2 (100% RDF) obtained higher number of stems/hill being statistically identical with all the treatments except T10, T9 and T1. Maximum plant height, LAI and haulm DMA were recorded in T2 which was statistically at par with T3, T4 and T5 and significantly superior to the rest of the treatments. The yield attributes and yield viz., number of tubers/plant, average tuber weight, processable tuber grade and total tuber yield was recorded significantly higher in T2 than all other treatments but remained statistically at par with T6, T7 and T8. Regarding the quality parameters, all the treatments showed non-significant variation except tuber dry matter content which was found significantly higher in T1 and lower in T2. The highest gross returns, net returns and B:C ratio were also obtained in treatment T2 followed by T8.