Vol. 7, Issue 8 (2018)

Author(s):
Rajesh Kumar, Avtar Singh and RK Singh

Abstract:
An experiment was conducted to study the effect of two mulches level along with sixteen manures and bio-fertilizer levels on potato yield and keeping quality during 2010-11 and 2011-12. The experiment was laid out in split plot design with three replications. Crop was planted during the second week October in both growing season. Result showed that mulching significantly reduced the weed density and increased the tuber yield (297.48 q/ha) over the non-mulching (294.24 q/ha) treatment, whereas, application of manures and bio-fertilizer did not show any significant effect on weed density. The non-mulching treatment significantly reduced the physiological loss (11.15%) and decay loss (19.16%) of tuber over mulching after 60 days of harvesting in both growing seasons, respectively. Whereas, after 15 days of harvesting mulching treatment significantly reduced the physiological loss (2.08%) of tubers compared to the non-mulching. Application of vermicompost (6.0 t/ha) with bio-fertilizer recorded lowest physiological (11.43%) and decay loss (16.80%) of tuber in both growing seasons, while maximum physiological (14.74%) and decay loss (22.26%) was observed from bio-fertilizer alone.