Effect of Phosphorus and Potassium Fertilizer Rates on Yield and Yield Component of Potato (Solanum tubersum L,) at K/Awlaelo, Tigray, Ethiopia

Abstract

A study was conducted to evaluate the effect of phosphorous and potassium fertilizer rates on the yield and yield components of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) grown on  sandy clay loam soils of K/Awlaelo Wereda, Tigray, Ethiopia during 2012 rainy season. An Improved potato variety “Gudane” was tested with four levels of phosphorous (i.e., 0, 67.3, 89.7 & 112.2 Kg/ha of P₂O₅) and four levels of potassium (i.e. 0, 50, 100, 150Kg/ha of K₂O) in a randomized complete block design with three replications. The recommended N 110 Kg/ha rate for potato was applied as urea to all treatments equally. Data on yield attributes, marketable, unmarketable, total tuber yield, fertilizer use efficiency and soil physical-chemical were collected using standard procedure. The study revealed that the main effect of phosphorus and potassium fertilizer rates were significantly affected the number of stems and tubers per plant, average tuber weight, biomass yield, marketable yield, and total tuber yield of potato. Moreover, days to physiological maturity, dry matter content, average tuber weight, marketable tuber yield, total tuber yield, fertilizer use efficiency, were significantly affected by their interaction. The optimum marketable and total tuber yield 38.61&41.81t/ha respectively was obtained due the interaction effect of P*K fertilizer at the rates of 89.7 P₂O₅ Kg /ha of and 100 and K₂O Kg /ha. Hence, 89.7 P₂O₅ Kg /ha of and 100 and K₂O Kg /ha   is recommended to apply in order to attain higher tuber yield and yield component of Gudane variety of potato in the study area and other similar areas.

Keywords: Effect, Fertilizer, Interaction, Main effect, Potassium, Potato, Phosphorus, Tuber yield