Performance of Potato(Solanum tuberosum L.) Cultivars and Spacing at Different in Central Highlands of Ethiopia

Abstract

The experiment was aimed at determining the effect of plant spacing and cultivars onyield and yield components of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.). The treatments consistedof three potato cultivars (Gudane, Jalane and Bone) and six levels of plant spacing (75cm x 30 cm, 60 cm x 35 cm, 65 cm x 30 cm, 65 cm x 25 cm, 55 cm x 30 cm, and 55 cm x 25cm). The experiment was laid out as a randomized complete block design in a factorialarrangement and replicated three times. Analysis of the results revealed that the maineffects of spacing and cultivars significantly affected days to physiological maturity, leafarea index, marketable tuber number, total tuber numbers, total yields, and tuber sizedistribution. However, cultivar and plant spacing did not interact to influence any of theparameters studied. All three varieties significantly differed in the duration required toreach physiological maturity, with Jalane requiring the longest duration but Gudanerequiring the shortest duration to reach physiological maturity. Gudane produced thetallest plants whereas the local variety Bone produced the shortest plants. Plant heightincreased significantly in response to increasing or widening plant spacing. All threevarieties significantly differed in the number of stems they produced. Leaf area indexsignificantly increased with increase in plant spacing and decreased significantly whenplant spacing was narrowed. Gudane produced the heaviest tubers compared to bothJalane and Bone. Gudane also produced significantly higher total as well as marketabletuber yields than the two other cultivars. Increasing or widening plant spacingsignificantly reduced total as well as unmarketable tuber yields whereas decreasing ornarrowing it significantly increased this yield parameter. On the other hand, increasingplant spacing significantly increased marketable tuber yields. Gudane and Bonecultivars had higher specific gravity than Jalane cultivar. Marketable tuber yield had apositive and significant linear correlation with plant spacing. In conclusion, the threepotato cultivars produced the highest tuber yields (ton ha -1 ) as well as medium-sizedtuber numbers in response to planting at the spacing of 75 cm between rows and 30 cmbetween plants. Furthermore, Gudane was superior in tuber yield as well as tuber drymatter content compared to the other two cultivars.