POTENTIALITY OF ORGANIC POTATO PRODUCTION UNDER MANGO BASED AGROFORESTRY SYSTEM

Abstract

A field experiment was carried out at the Agroforestry and environment research farm, Hajee Mohammad Danesh Science and Technology University (HSTU), Dinajpur, during November 2015 to March 2016 to evaluate the potentiality of organic potato production under mango based agroforestry system. The experiment was laid out in two factorial RCBD with 3 replications viz. Factor A: was Eight potato variety; viz. V1 = Diamond, V2 = Cardinal, V3 = Asterix, V4 = Carage, V5 = Lady Rosette, V6 = Granula, V7 = Raza, V8 = 4.26 R and Factor B: was 3 Fertilizer and Manure Applications; viz. F1 = Chemical fertilizer, F2 = Cowdung + Poultry, F3 = No fertilizer. So, there are 24 treatment combinations and these were: V1F1, V2F1, V3F1, V4F1, V5F1, V6F1, V7F1, V8F1, V1F2, V2F2, V3F2, V4F2, V5F2, V6F2, V7F2, V8F2, V1F3, V2F3, V3F3, V4F3, V5F3, V6F3, V7F3, V8F3. The result of the experiment revealed that there was a significant effect among the varieties and fertilizer and manure application on the growth yield contributing characters and yield of potato. In case of main effects of variety, the result was found significant in respect of plant height, leaf breadth, no. of leaf/shoot, no. of shoot/hill, no. of tuber/hill, weight of tuber/hill, yield/plot, dry weight (g), respectively but leaf length was insignificant. The highest tuber yield per hectare (9.11 t/ha) was recorded in the variety of Lady Rosette and the lowest tuber yield (5.95 t/ha) was recorded in the variety of 4.26 R. Again, in case of main effect of Fertilizer and Manure, it was found significant in respect of all parameters of potato plants. The highest tuber yield per hectare (10.11 t/ha) was recorded when potato cultivated with chemical fertilizer and the lowest tuber yield (8.86 t/ha) was found when potato cultivated with no fertilizer. In case of interaction effect of the potato variety and fertilizer and manure, it was found that yield of Lady Rosette potato varieties was higher when it was grown with chemical fertilizer under mango based Agroforestry systems, whereas the yield was lower 4.26R potato variety. However, the suitability of the cultivation of different potato variety with fertilizer and manure under mango based Agroforestry systems may be ranked as Lady Rosette> Granula > Carage> Raza> Diamond> Cardinal > Asterix> 4.26 R. Finally, it may be concluded that, the application of organic manure gave 25.62% less production as compared to chemical fertilizer application. But, if we consider the benefit of organic manure application in terms of environmental benefit, soil health and safe potato production then cultivation of potato variety lady rosette at the floor of mango orchard with organic manure application may be a promising orchard based agroforestry system in the northern part of Bangladesh.