Mr. M. A. Mannaf
Ph D Fellow
Department of Agronomy, Bangladesh Agricultural University Mymensingh.
Four experiments were conducted at Breeder Seed Production Centre (BSPC) Farm, Debiganj, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI), Panchagarh during 2002-03 to 2004-05 in order to maximize the yield and minimize the production cost of potato using TPS seedling tubers through different agronomic management practices, thereby determining the appropriate and economically viable production package for potato cultivation in the north west region of Bangladesh. Accordingly, 4 sizes of TPS seedling tuber of BARI TPS-1 viz. 1-5 g, 6–10 g, 11–20 g and 21–30 g were tested with 5 intra-row plant spacings viz. 10 cm, 15 cm, 20 cm, 25 cm, and 30 cm during 2003-04. The combinations, 1-5 g × 10 cm, 6-10 g × 15 cm, 11-20 g × 20 cm and 21-30 g × 30 cm produced significantly higher fresh tuber yields of 38.11, 38.88, 38.86 and 39.93 t ha-1 and also gave higher benefit-cost ratio of 2.53, 2.26, 2.06 and 2.02, respectively. Utilization of 1-5 g, 6-10 g and 11-20 g of TPS seedling tubers reduced the production cost by 45, 35 and 22 %, respectively, over 21-30 g, while the intra-row spacing of 30, 25, 20 and 15 cm reduced the production cost by 33, 30, 20 and 16%, respectively, over 10 cm. Among the suitable combinations, 1-5 g × 10 cm, 6-11 g × 15 cm and 1-5 g × 15 cm were compared with a check combination of 21-30 g of cv. Diamant × 25 cm in 3 planting times (Mid-October, Mid-November and Mid-December), with 5 fertilizer doses (125, 100, 75, 50 and 0 % of recommended fertilizer dose) and 4 levels of irrigation (no irrigation; 1 irrigation at stolonization period; 1 irrigation at stolonization + 1 irrigation at tuberization period; 1 irrigation at stolonization + 1 at tuberization period + 1 at tuber bulking period). For the stated investigations, 3 separate trials for 2 consecutive years were conducted. In both years, planting time, fertilizer dose and irrigation levels had significant effect on yield and economic returns. The tested combinations of seed size and intra-row plant spacing also influenced the yield and economic returns in each of the trials. Use of 1-5 g × 10 or 15 cm intra-row spacing and 6-10 g × 15 cm intra-row spacing under mid-November or mid-December planting with 100% or 75% of recommended fertilizer dose and 2 or 3 irrigations were found to be agro-economically better than that of the check combination for getting higher yield and economic returns. Among the treatments of TPS seedling tubers and Diamant, 1-5 g × 10 or 15 cm and 6-10 g performed better demonstrating a significant reduction of seed cost than use of 21-30 g of Diamant × 25 cm. The findings imply that planting of TPS seedling tubers of 1-5 g with intra-row spacing of 10 or 15 cm and 6-10 g with intra-row spacing of 15 cm in mid-November or mid-December with 100% or 75% of recommended fertilizer dose (140-15-100-16-10-3-1.2-5000 kg or 105-11.3-75-12-7.5-2.25-1.0-3750 kg N-P-K-S-Mg-Zn-B-FYM ha-1) and 2 or 3-irrigations could be suggested as an appropriate and economically viable production package for potato cultivation in the north west region of Bangladesh.
Potato , Seedling, TPS
Resource Development and Management
PhD thesis of Mr. M. A. Mannaf,Department of Agronomy, Bangladesh Agricultural University , Mymensingh. Year-2011
Thesis