PERFORMANCE OF POTATO UNDER MANGO BASED AGROFORESTRY SYSTEM INFLUENCED BY PLANTING SPACINGS

Abstract

A field experiment was carried out at the research farm of the department of Agroforestry and Environment, Hajee Mohammad Danesh Science and Technology University, Dinajpur, Bangladesh during November 2018 to March 2019 to evaluate the performance of different planting spacing’s on the growth and yield of potato under mango based agroforestry system in comparison with sole cropping. The experiment was laid out with factorial Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) following three replications. The two factors were, factor A: two production systems viz, mango + potato based agroforestry system (P1) and sole cropping of potato (P2). Factor B: four planting spacing’s of potato seeds viz, S1 (50 cm × 25 cm), S2 (60 cm × 20 cm), S3 (60 cm × 25 cm) and S4 (60 cm × 30 cm). The result of the experiment revealed that in case of main effect of production system, the initial germination percentages were not significantly varied but later stage i.e. at 28 days , significantly the highest percentage of germination (72.97 %) was recorded in sole cropping. Interestingly plant height of potato was the highest under mango orchard. However, except plant height all other growth parameters of potato including tuber yield were significantly highest in open condition. The highest (22,77 t\ha) and the lowest tuber yield (8.59 t\h) were found in s0le cropping mango + potato based agroforestry system. Again, in case of main effects of potato seed tuber spacing’s, the highest tuber yield (15.76 t/h) was recorded in that plot where 60 cm×30 cm spacing was followed. On the other hand, in case of interaction effect of production systems and planting spacing of potato seeds, it was found that open condition with close spacing i.e. 50 cm × 25 cm gave highest yield (22.01 t/h). Therefore, the suitability of proper spacing for the cultivation of potato under mango based Agroforestry systems may be ranked as 50 cm × 25 cm > 60 cm × 20 cm >60 cm X 25 cm > 60 cm × 30 cm. Finally, it may be concluded that closing spacing gave maximum potato yield at the floor of Mango due to more number of plants in a unit area.