Effects of Nitrogen and Plant Spacing on the Growth and Yield of Potato
ABSTRACT
An experiment was carried out at the Horticulture Farm, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh during 1998-99 growing season to study the effect of nitrogen and plant spacing on the growth and yield of potato (var. Diamant). Different nitrogen levels viz. 0, 127.0, 190.5 and 254.0 kg N/ha significantly influenced plant height, foliage coverage, number of main stem per hill, days required for 80% maturity of the crop, fresh weight of haulm (g/hill), number of tubers per hill, weight of tubers per hill, total yield of tubers per hectare and yield of seed and non-seed tubers per hectare. Application of 254.0 kg N/ha gave the highest yield of tubers (24.33 t/ha) and seed tubers (19.14 t/ha). Significant variation was observed due to the effect of the three plant spacings viz. 60 x 15, 60 x 20 and 60 x 25 cm2 in respect of the above-mentioned parameters except days required for 80% maturity of the crop and yield of non-seed tubers per hectare. The highest yield of tubers (19.19 t/ha) and seed tubers (15.63 t/ha) was obtained at the closest spacing (60 cm x 15 cm). The combined effect of different levels of nitrogen and plant spacing revealed that 254.0 kg N/ha applied at the closest spacing gave the highest yield of tubers (27.26 t/ha) and seed tubers (21.68 t/ha).
Key Words: Potato, Diamant, Nitrogen, Spacing, Growth, Yield
INTRODUCTION
Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is one of the most important non-cereal food crops and regarded as a staple food in many countries of the world (Ahmad, 1977). It is one of the most important vegetable crops in Bangladesh contributing alone as much as 54% of the total annual vegetable production of this country (BBS, 1997). But the average yield of potato is 11.26 t/ha in Bangladesh which is quite low in comparison to that of the leading potato growing countries of the world such as the Netherlands (43.68 t/ha), USA (38.89 t/ha) and even much lower than the average yield of potato (16.13 t/ha) in the globe
An experiment was carried out at the Horticulture Farm, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh during 1998-99 growing season to study the effect of nitrogen and plant spacing on the growth and yield of potato (var. Diamant). Different nitrogen levels viz. 0, 127.0, 190.5 and 254.0 kg N/ha significantly influenced plant height, foliage coverage, number of main stem per hill, days required for 80% maturity of the crop, fresh weight of haulm (g/hill), number of tubers per hill, weight of tubers per hill, total yield of tubers per hectare and yield of seed and non-seed tubers per hectare. Application of 254.0 kg N/ha gave the highest yield of tubers (24.33 t/ha) and seed tubers (19.14 t/ha). Significant variation was observed due to the effect of the three plant spacings viz. 60 x 15, 60 x 20 and 60 x 25 cm2 in respect of the above-mentioned parameters except days required for 80% maturity of the crop and yield of non-seed tubers per hectare. The highest yield of tubers (19.19 t/ha) and seed tubers (15.63 t/ha) was obtained at the closest spacing (60 cm x 15 cm). The combined effect of different levels of nitrogen and plant spacing revealed that 254.0 kg N/ha applied at the closest spacing gave the highest yield of tubers (27.26 t/ha) and seed tubers (21.68 t/ha).
Key Words: Potato, Diamant, Nitrogen, Spacing, Growth, Yield
INTRODUCTION
Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is one of the most important non-cereal food crops and regarded as a staple food in many countries of the world (Ahmad, 1977). It is one of the most important vegetable crops in Bangladesh contributing alone as much as 54% of the total annual vegetable production of this country (BBS, 1997). But the average yield of potato is 11.26 t/ha in Bangladesh which is quite low in comparison to that of the leading potato growing countries of the world such as the Netherlands (43.68 t/ha), USA (38.89 t/ha) and even much lower than the average yield of potato (16.13 t/ha) in the globe
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