Evaluation on Growth Performance of Improved and Local Potato (solanum tuberosum l.) Cultivars Grown in Eastern Ethiopia

Abstract

Field experiments were conducted at Haramaya and Hirna with the objective of assessing growth performance of local (farmers’) and improved potato cultivars. The treatments consisted of five released cultivars (Badhasa, Chala, Chiro, Gabbisa, Zemen) and four local (farmers’) potato cultivars (Batte, Daddafa, Jarso, Mashenadima). The experiment was laid out as a Randomized Complete Block Design with three replications. Earliest cultivar to attain days to 50% emergence was Chiro at Hirna and Mashenadima emerged late at Haramaya. The earliest cultivars to reach 50% flowering was Jarso (43.83 days) and Mashenadima late (57.67 days). Chiro matured in (86.17 days) while Daddafa (114 days), indicating that they are early and late maturing, respectively. The tallest plants were recorded at Hirna for Zemen (106.48 cm) while the shortest (39.93 cm) were for Batte at Haramaya. Maximum (6.58) and minimum (2.41) stem numbers per hill were produced by Chala and Mashenadima, respectively.

Keywords: potato (solanum tuberosum l.), Growth Performance, Improved, local, Ethiopia