Response of potato (Solanum tuberosum) var. Shalimar Potato-1 to zinc application

Abstract

Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is a leading staple food in the diet of the world's population which is also used as animal feed (Eleiwa et al., 2012). Potato is an important staple food in the Mediterranean Basin, occupying an overall area of a little less than 1 million ha and producing 30 million t of tubers (FAOSTAT, 2017). Potato provides a part of daily caloric needs of human and delivers many essential nutrients and vitamins including potassium, phosphorus, manganese, magnesium, vitamin C and vitamine B-6 (Haynes et al., 2012). Potatoes provide a bulk dry matter and yield per unit area in comparison with other crops such as cereals, therefore Potato is considered as a heavy nutrient requiring crop (Haynes et al., 2012; Bari et al., 2001). A field experiment was conducted during 2015-17 at SKUAST-Kashmir to know the effect of zinc on tuber yield and economics of potato under temperate conditions of Kashmir. The experiment consisted of 5 treatments, T1 (RFD of NPK), T2 (RFD of NPK + 1.5 Kg Zn/ha), T3 (RFD of NPK + 3.0 Kg Zn/ha), T4 (RFD of NPK + 4.5 Kg Zn/ha), T5 (RFD of NPK + 6.0 Kg Zn/ha). Pooled data over the years (2015-17) revealed that the potato tuber yield 33.99 t/ha increased with the treatment T1 (RFD of NPK + 3.0 Kg Zn/ha) with net returns (Rs. 343304/ha) and higher benefit : cost ratio of 3.06.