Effects of Green Manure and Biofertilizers on Processing Potato Growth, Productivity, and Chipping Quality at Various Nitrogen Levels

Abstract

During the fall season of 2017-18, a field experiment was undertaken at Khalsa College's Students' Research Farm in Amritsar to investigate the effects of green manure and biofertilizers on processing potato growth, yield, and chipping quality at various nitrogen levels. Split plot design was used to lay up the experiment. Treatments included four levels of nitrogen, viz. 0, 93.75, 140.62, and 187.5 kg N/ha as main plot treatments and four levels of nitrogen, viz. 0, biofertilizers, green manure, green manure + biofertilizers as sub plot treatments with three replications. The green manure + biofertilizers group had the best growth and yield characteristics, whereas the control group had the worst. Furthermore, green manure + biofertilizers increased overall tuber output by 20.6 percent above control.  Plant height (66.8 cm), leaf area index (2.32), number of tubers per plant (6.83), average weight of tuber (43.76 g), total tuber yield (215.7 q/ha), processable tuber yield (125.4 q/ha), and tuber dry matter were all significantly higher with 187.5 kg N/ha than without nitrogen application, but statistically on par with 140.6 kg N/ha. Green manure + biofertilizers, as well as 177.5 kg N/ha, led in greater net yields and benefit cost ratios. In all of the treatments, the chip colour score was within the acceptable range (2.99 CCS).