Standardizing fertility and crop geometry requirements of potato chipping variety Kufri Chipsona-4 for higher chip grade yield, quality and profitability

Abstract

Field study was conducted at Central Potato Research Institute Campus, Modipuram to standardize the fertilizer and crop geometry requirements of newly released potato chipping variety Kufri Chipona-4 for higher chip grade tuber yield with good quality and higher profitability. Growth traits as well as chip grade tuber number did not influence due to different fertility levels and intra-row spacing treatments. Average tuber number/plant was higher under wider spacing. Highest chip grade, total and net tuber yield was recorded with highest fertility dose tested in the study (270 N + 80 P2O5 + 150 K2O kg/ha). Graded as well as net tuber yield was statistically similar under different crop geometry treatments. All the chipping quality parameters remained unaffected due to different fertility levels and crop geometry treatments except tuber dry matter content, which increased significantly in response to wider spacing and was maximum under 67.5 cm × 25 cm crop geometry (22.36%). Average chip grade tuber weight, which decides the peeling losses increased significantly in response to higher fertility levels and wider spacing. Maximum net returns (Rs. 95,937/ha) and B:C ratio (2.16) was recorded with fertilizer dose of 270 N + 80 P2O5 + 150 K2O kg/ha. Among crop geometry treatments the net returns was statistically similar, but the B:C ratio was statistically higher under 67.5 cm × 25 cm crop geometry (2.20). Therefore, chipping variety Kufri Chipsona-4 may be fertilized with 270 N + 80 P2O5 + 150 K2O kg/ha, along with 67.5 cm × 25 cm crop geometry (seed size 50 g) for achieving higher chipping grade tuber yield with good chipping quality and profits to the farmers.