Effect of zinc application on quality of potato

Abstract

In order to investigate the response of zinc application on quality of potato tubers, field experiments were carried out during winter season of 2016-2017 at Vegetable Research Centre, G. B. Pant University of Agriculture & Technology, Pantnagar, Udham Singh Nagar, Uttarakhand. The experiment was laid out in randomized block design with five treatments replicated four times. The results indicated that dry matter per cent (19.9 %), starch (17.5%), specific gravity (1.04%) and available zinc content (52.64 ppm) in potato tubers were recorded maximum in treatment T5 (Recommended dose of fertilizer of NPK + 6.0 kg zinc at the time of planting). Results also indicated that specific gravity of potato tuber did not vary significantly with the treatments. Based on present investigation, it can be concluded that basal application of zinc at 6.0 kg/ha along with recommended dose of fertilizer improved potato tuber quality under tarai region of Uttarakhand.