DEVELOPMENT OF LOW COST TRADITIONAL STORAGE TECHNIQUE OF SEED POTATO

Abstract

An experiment was conducted at the laboratory of the Department of Plant Pathology of Hajee Mohammad Danesh Science and Technology University, Dinajpur during 2017 to identify the varieties and size of potato suitable for storing in earthen pot with sand and to determine the loss of potatoes due to diseases in traditional storages. Four potato varieties namely Lady rosetta, Cardinal, Challisha and Lal pakri of two different size (28 – 40 mm and >40 – 55 mm diameter) used in the experiment. The potato was placed in earthen pot (21cm  18 cm diameter) sprinkled with fresh sand of river bank then a layer of potato alternate with sand then again a layer of potato and finally covered with sand. Sand was subject to dry at every 15 and 30 days after storage. Data was recorded on weight loss of potato, storage disease of potato, sprouting of potato at 30, 60, 90, 120, 150, 180 and 210 days after storage. The highest infected tuber was recorded in the varieties Lady rosetta up to 90 days of storage. After 90 days of storage Cardinal Variety had maximum tuber infection. Challisha and Lal pakri are two local varieties had the ability to resist the soft rot and dry rot disease compared to other two varieties. Dry rot was found only up to 90 days of storage but soft rot was recorded from starting to ending of the experiment. The intensity of dry rot gradually decreased and soft rot gradually increased in all the variety included in the study. Weight loss of small size tuber was always lower compared to large size tuber. Minimum storage disease was recorded when drying of sand was done after 15 days of storage compared to 30 days of storage. When data was recorded at 150,180 and 210 days after storage the variety Challisha and Lal pakri produced maximum number, weight and length of sprout compared to other two variety. In general small size tuber and 15 days after drying of sand produced minimum number, weight and length of sprout, respectively. The highest weight loss after 210 days of storage was recorded in cardinal variety followed by Lady rosetta. The lowest weight loss was recorded in Lal pakri variety that was similar to Challisha variety. The large size (>40 – 55 mm) tuber always showed the maximum weight loss compared to small size (28 – 40 mm) tuber.