Response of Irish Potato (Solanum tubersome L.) to Potassium and Organic Fertilization in Gozamin Woreda, East Gojjam zone, Ethiopia

Abstract

Though chemical fertilizer application has been in use for more than  five decades in Ethiopia, crop productivity has not been grown as expected due to poor nutrient use efficiency and nutrient imbalance. This experiment was, thus, conducted to determine the effect of potassium (K) and farm yard manure fertilizer on tuber yield and quality of potato. Potato variety ''Belete'' was used as a test crop to evaluate the response of K and FYM. The treatments were four levels of potassium (K)  (0, 70, 140, 210 kg K ha^-1) applied as sulphate of potash (K₂SO₄) and three levels of farm yard manure (0, 7.5 and 15 t ha^-1) in factorial combination. The design used was split plot with three replications. The main plot and split plot factors were FYM and K-level, respectively. A plot of 3.75 m x 2.1 m was used with intra and inter row spacing of 30 and 75 cm, respectively. A distance of 0.3, 0.5 and 1 m gap was left between sub plots, main plots and blocks, respectively. Nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) were applied at 81 and 69 kg ha^-1 as urea and DAP, respectively, uniformly to all plots.  Nitrogen was applied in two split, at planting and after tuber initiation (as side dressing).