Academic Research Journal of Agricultural Science and Research
 

Academic Research Journal of Agricultural Science and Research 

Vol. 6(5), pp. 266-275. June, 2018.

ISSN: 2360-7874 

 DOI: 10.14662/ARJASRD2018.023

Full Length Research

Response of Potato Varieties for Extended Harvesting at Kulumsa, Southeast Ethiopia

Tesfaw Abay Birsh¹, Fekadu Gebretensay Mengistu², Amsalu Nebiyu³, Ali Mohammed³

¹Arsi Zone water mine and Energy office, Arsi, Ethiopia.

²Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR), Kulumsa Agricultural Research Center (KARC), P.O.Box 489, Asella, Ethiopia.

³Jimma University, College of Agriculture & Veterinary Medicine, P.O.Box 307, Jimma, Ethiopia.

Corresponding E-mail Addresses: fgebretensay@yahoo.com  & tesfawabay@gmail.com

Accepted 7 June 2018

An experiment was carried out to identify potato varieties that are suitable for extended harvesting with better tuber yield, quality and reduced losses. Four improved (Belete, Gudene, Dagem and Gera) and one local variety were evaluated under five extended harvesting periods (harvest at maturity as control, 30, 60, 90 and 120 days after 1^st harvest) arranged in a 5x5 factorial combinations using a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. Data were collected from five net rows per plot, each represented the different harvesting period. Data were subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA) and means were compared using Least Significant Difference (LSD) test at 5% probability level. Simple correlation analysis was undertaken to determine the degree of association of characters. ANOVA showed that the main effects i.e. variety and harvesting periods highly significantly (P<0.01) affected days to 50% flowering, days to physiological maturity, total and marketable tuber yield; whereas variety by harvesting period interaction effects were significant (P<0.05) for unmarketable tuber yield, tuber specific gravity, tuber dry matter and starch content. A maximum of 87.09% and a minimum of 21.57% unmarketable yield was obtained from local and Gudene varieties from 5^th (120 days) and 1^st harvesting periods respectively. The results suggest that farmers around Kulumsa who do not have modern potato store can extend potato harvesting on clay loam soil with soil moisture content of 15.22 to16.12%, up to 120 days after physiological maturity using variety Gudene and up to 90 days using variety Dagem without compromising for marketable tuber yield and quality. However, the present results imply that further studies need to be conducted to compare the effect of extended harvesting practice with that of modern ware potato storage with regard to yield, quality loss and economic benefit.

Keywords: Solanum tuberosum; Harvesting periods and yield

How to cite this article: Birsh TA, Mengistu FG, Nebiyu A, Mohammed A (2018). Response of Potato Varieties for Extended Harvesting at Kulumsa, Southeast Ethiopia. Acad. Res. J. Agri. Sci. Res. 6(5): 266-275

FULL TEXT [PDF]