Journal of Environmental Biology

Assessment of growth, yield, tuber quality and profitability of

potato upon boron fertilization

S. Sarkar¹*, H. Banerjee², I. Chakraborty³, S. Sau⁴, K. Ray⁵, D. Ghosh^1-6 and P. Deb⁷

¹Department of Agronomy;

³Department of Post-Harvest Technology of Horticultural Crops;

⁴Department of Fruits and Orchard Management, Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Mohanpur - 741 252, India

²Regional Research Station (CSZ), Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Kakdwip - 743 347, India

⁵Sasya Shyamala Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda University, Narendrapur, Kolkata - 700 103, India

⁶ICAR-Directorate of Weed Research, Jabalpur - 482 004, India

⁷Department of Crop Improvement, Horticulture and Agricultural Botany, Institute of Agriculture, Visva-Bharati, Sriniketan - 731 236, India

*Corresponding Author E-mail: sukamalsarkarc@yahoo.com

Key words

Alluvial soil

Boron

Foliar nutrition

Potato tuber

Processing-grade potato 

Publication Data

Paper received : 08.03.2017

Revised received : 06.08.2017

Re-revised received : 08.09.2017

Accepted : 13.10.2017

Abstract

Aim: The study aimed to investigate the effect of soil and foliar boron fertilization on the growth, productivity and quality well as benefit in processing grade potato (Kufri Chipsona-3) in alluvial soil at West Bengal, India. 

Methodology: A field experiment was carried out on alluvial soil at West Bengal during the winter season of 2014-15 and 2015-16. The experiment comprised of five treatments [T₁, Recommended dose of fertilizer (RDF) of NPK; T₂, RDF of NPK + 2.0 kg soil applied B/ha; T₃, RDF of NPK + 0.1% boric acid spray at 40 days after planting (DAP); T₄, RDF of NPK + 0.1% boric acid spray at 40 and 60 DAP; and T₅, RDF of NPK + 0.1% boric acid spray at 40, 50 and 60 DAP] arranged in a completely randomized block design replicated four times. Plant growth, yield, nutrient concentration and quality parameters of potato tuber (specific gravity, total soluble solids, tuber hardness, total acidity, Vitamin C and protein) were analyzed in the experiment.

Results: Experimental findings showed that RDF of NPK + 0.1% boric acid spray (thrice) produced significantly higher number (3.70 ? 105 ha⁻¹) and yield (33.49 t ha⁻¹) of processing grade tuber? than other boron levels (foliar and soil) tested. Application of RDF of NPK + 0.1% boric acid spray (thrice) exhibited its superiority by producing tubers with significantly higher specific gravity, total soluble solids, tuber hardness, total acidity, Vitamin C, protein and starch content with lowest phenol content and lighter chip colour. ??       

Interpretation: The results of this study indicate that application of boron (0.1% boric acid at 40, 50 and 60 DAP) in combination with RDF (200 kg N, 150 K₂O and 150 kg P₂O₅ ha⁻¹) is required for optimum yield of processing grade potato (cv. Kufri Chipsona-3) in alluvial Gangetic plains of West Bengal.

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