EFFECTS OF DIFFERENT SOURCES OF NUTRIENTS AND MULCHES ON THE GROWTH YIELD AND STORABILITY OF POTATO

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted at the Horticulture Farm, Hajee Mohammad Danesh Science and Technology University, Dinajpur during November 2016 to June 2017 to study the effect of sources of nutrients and mulches on the growth, yield and storability of potato CV. Asrarix. The experiment was laid out in Randomized complete block design (RCBD) with 3 replications. There were 5 doses of fertilizer; viz, control, BARI recommended fertilizer, 50% BARI recommended fertilizer, 50% BARI recommended fertilizer + 15 ton cow dung/ha, 50% BARI recommended fertilizer + 10 ton cow dung/ha + 1 ton MOC/ha. Three mulches viz, control, rice straw, saw dust were used in the present study. The results of the experiment related to plant height, number of leaves per plant, number of main stems/hill, number of tuber/hill, weight of tuber/hill, weight of tuber per plot, yield of tuber/ha, dry weight of plant. These all parameters were maximum at 50% BARI recommended fertilizer + 10 ton cow dung per ha + 1 ton MOC/ha. On the other hand, minimum growth and yield contributing characters were found from the control. The highest yield was obtained (32.27 ton/ ha) in this treatment and the minimum obtained (12.68 ton /ha) in control. In case of mulching, straw mulch had the maximum (27.10 ton/ha) yield but the minimum (22.66 ton/ha) in control. From the experiment it was revealed that combined effect of 50% BARI recommended fertilizer + 10 ton cow dung/ha + 1 ton MOC/ha with straw mulch produced the maximum (34.47 ton/ha) yield of potato.