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Asian Journal of Plant Sciences

Year: 2008 | Volume: 7 | Issue: 1 | Page No.: 73-78
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Authors

Tuhin Suvra Roy

Takashi Nishizawa

Mohammed Hazrat Ali

Keywords

Research Article

True Potato Seed Production and its Economic Analysis as Influenced by Supplemental Nitrogen and Planting Density

Tuhin Suvra Roy, Takashi Nishizawa and Mohammed Hazrat Ali
A field experiment was carried out to evaluate True Potato Seed (TPS) production and its relative economic return as influenced by supplemental nitrogen (N) at a range of 0-250 kg ha-1 and planting density at a range of 8-16 haulms m-2 in potato mother plants (Solanum tuberosum L.) using a cross of MF-II (♀) and TPS-67 (♂). The single effect of supplemental N application and planting density on the yield of berries and TPS was significant. Number of berries plant-1, mean berry weight, number of TPS berry-1 and yield of TPS showed maximum values when 0-150 kg N ha-1 was applied, but the values decreased thereafter as supplemental N application increased, irrespective of the size of the harvested berries. Although only the weight of 100-TPS showed a maximum value at 250 kg N ha-1 application, the value was similar to that at 200 kg N ha-1 application. Mean berry weight, number of seeds berry-1 and weight of 100-TPS showed the maximum values at the lowest (8 haulms m-2) planting density and the values decreased thereafter as the planting density increased, irrespective of the size of harvested berries. A positive effect of higher planting density was detected only in the number of berries plant-1 and yield of TPS. The combination effect of supplemental N application and planting density on the yield of berries and TPS was also significant. Although the total yield of TPS was the highest at the combination of 150 N kg ha-1 and 16 stems m-2, the yield of large size TPS, which is regarded as high quality TPS, was the highest at the combination of 200 N kg ha-1 and 12 stems m-2. This was also true for the other characteristics of harvested TPS under different supplemental N applications and planting densities; i.e., number of berries plant-1, number of TPS berry-1 and weight of 100-TPS showed the maximum values at the combinations of 0-150 N kg ha-1 and 8-16 stems m-2 or 200 kg N ha-1 and 8 stems m-2, but not at 200 N kg ha-1 and 12 stems m-2. The benefit cost ratio, which was estimated from total cost of production and gross return also showed that the combination of 200 kg N ha-1 and 12 stems m-2 were the optimal growth conditions to harvest high quality TPS from the potato mother plants.
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