Effect of Integrated Nutrient Management on Growth, Yield and Quality of Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.)

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted at Instructional farm, DCAAS College Rampur, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, during the Rabi season of 2022-2023 to evaluate the performance of potato under different integrated nutrient management (INM) options. The experiment was placed in randomised block design (RBD) with five nutrient management options. Various parameters related to plant growth, tuber formation, and tuber weight and yield were examined across different treatment conditions. The results revealed that T5 (Vermicompost + Urea + FYM + Neemcake), representing an integrated nutrient management approach, consistently exhibited the highest plant weight (23.633cm) at different growth stages (30 DAS, 60 DAS, 90 DAS), indicating a positive effect on plant growth. Additionally, T3 (Urea) displayed superior performance regarding the number of tubers in different weight categories (0-25g, 25-50g, 50-75g, and 75g), suggesting enhanced tuber formation. However, the most significant outcome was the consistent superiority of T5 in terms of tuber weight and yield. T5 consistently produced the highest weight of tubers in all weight categories and achieved the highest tuber yield per plot (9.243q h-1). These findings underscore the positive impact of integrated nutrient management practices on tuber weight and overall crop productivity in potatoes. It is important to note that specific details regarding the nutrient management practices used were not provided, necessitating further research to identify the particular combination and types of nutrients employed in T5. Overall, this study emphasizes the importance of implementing integrated nutrient management strategies to enhance the growth and yield of potato crops, encouraging further investigation into the optimization of plant growth and tuber yield through nutrient management practices.