International Journal of Soil Science and Agronomy ISSN 1725-3497 Vol. 7(1),pp. 206-213, May, 2020. © Advanced Scholars Journals

Full length Research paper

Effect of Blended NPSZnB Fertilizer and Cattle Manure Effect on Potato (Solanum Tuberosum L.) Growth Performance and Quality in Awi Zone, North Western Ethiopia

 

Bewket Getachew Bekele

Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR), Pawe Agricultural Research Center, P.O. Box-25

*Corresponding Author: E-mail: bewgeta@gmail.com 

Accepted 26 May 2020.

ABSTRACT

Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is one of theimportant crops in the Northwestern parts of Ethiopia, and particularly in Awi zone and it grows three times per annum. Potato production in Awi zone focuses more on productivity, which results unbalance diet for people who use potato as their day today food source. However, its growth performance and tuber quality are poor due to absence of integrated use of organic and inorganic fertilizers rather use of only phosphorus and nitrogen source fertilizers for area worth mention.So, aim of this study involves on determining better fertilizer combination for highest growth performance and best quality of potato.Theexperiment was conducted at Banja district, Awi Zone during rainy season of 2017. Four different levels of CM (0, 10 t ha-1, 20 t ha-1 and 30 t ha-1) and four different levels of blended NPSZnB fertilizer (0, 65.7 kgha-1, 133 kgha-1 and 199 kgha-1) were factorially combined and tested for the effect on growth performance and quality of tuber in a randomized complete block design (RCBD).Results of analysis of variance revealed  that the highest numberof days to 50% flowering, days to 75% maturity, plant height and leaf area index were recorded from combined application of 199 kgha-1 blended NPSZnB fertilizer and 30 tha-1 cattle manure buthighest value of tuber dry matter content and tuber starch content were scored from control.Specific gravity and number of large tubers were significantly affected by application of blended NPSZnB fertilizer and cattle manure alone. Production of potato without fertilizer application is better for quality potato production, but application of 199 kgha-1 blended NPSZnBfertilizer level with 30 tha-1cattle manure should be used for better growth performance potato production.

Key words: Blended fertilizer, Cattle manure, Growth performance, Potato, Tuber quality