EFFECT OF MALEIC HYDRAZIDE ON GROWTH AND YIELD OF MODERN POTATO VARIETIES (Solanum tuberosum L.)

Abstract

An experiment was conducted at the Central Farm, HSTU campus, Dinajpur during the period from November 2012 to March 2013. The aim of the present study was to identfy the most productive variety and also to find out the most optimum level of Maleic Hydrazide (MH) and suitable time of its foliar application on the aspect of better growth development and greater yield of three modern varieties of potato under the regional condition of AEZ-1. Three potato were namely Diamant (V1), Cardinal (V2) and Multa (V3), four different concentrations of MH (0, 500, 1500 and 2500 ppm), its foliar application time in the trial field were used as level factor A, B and C, respectively. The experiment was laid out in a three factors RCBD with four replications. The result revealed that most of the yield components and yield were significantly influenced by different varieties of potato, different levels of concentration of hormone and two planting dates of hormone. The treatment combination of second spray of hormone on 45 days after planting and 500 ppm maelic hydrazide gave the highest yield of potato tuber (47.58 kg t/ha) and the lowest yield (40.30 kg t/ha) was obtained from second spray of hormone and 1500 ppm maelic hyrdrazide. Less number of days required for germination of potato tuber, higher branch angle per plant, higher diameter of main stem, higher number of leaflets per plant, highest number of compound leaf per plant, weight of tuber per plant and weight of tuber per hactor were obtained from the treatment V1. In case of different grade of tuber viz number of tuber >45 mm, 35-45 mm diameter, number of tuber per plant were significantly highest from V1 treatment. The highest number of tuber per plant was observed in the treatment of 500 ppm MH. The highest number of <28 mm diameter of potato was observed from the variety V3. The weight of tuber >45 mm diameter, and dry weight of tuber per plant (gm) was observed in the treatment D2H1. The combined effect of D2V1 was significant for number of compound leaf per plant and number of tuber (28- 35) mm diameter in the treatment V1H1. The treatment combination D2V2H1 produced highest diameter of main stem in potato. The lowest diameter (9.51 mm) was obtained from D2V3H2.