Abstract:
Soil fertility decline is considered as one of the major causes for
resulting in reduced yield of potato production in abelo area Masha
district sheka zone of south-western Ethiopia. Hence, a field experiment
was conducted in Belgand Meher season, in abelo area, Masha district
south-western Ethiopia, to investigate the effect of combined use of
application of Cattle Manure (CM) with mineral NP on growth, biomass
yield, quality, of potato tuber. The treatments comprised combinations
of three rates (2.5,5, 7.5t ha-1) of CM with 25%, 50% and 75% of
recommended rates of mineral NP, respectively. In addition, 100%
recommended rate of mineral NP for the experimental site (165 kg N
ha-1 and 137 kg P2O5 ha-1) and zero rates were used for comparison.
The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design
with three replications.The results revealed that applying 7.5 t ha-1
CM combined with 75% mineral NP gave significantly Days to 50%
flowering by 7 daysi.e. From 56-6 and14 daysi.e. from 51-65, days
to 50% maturity by 5 daysi.e. from (101-106) and 13 days from (95-
108) and increases plant height from 56-69 and 63-78, Increase shoot
fresh weight by 39.66% from (1274.59- 1780.2 ghill-1) and 36.66%
from (1213.91 -1658.99 ghill-1) and shoot dry weight by 46.8% from
(40.4 ghill-1 to 59.333 ghill-1) and 41.66% from (40 to 56.667 ghill-
1),increased dry matter content from (21.085-25.782) and (22.36
to 24.47), specific gravity from (1.083- 1.107) and (1.092 -1.101)
reduces small tuber size percentage Form (27.306 to 17.069) and
(43.946 -14.267) and improves medium size tubers from (65.56 to
74.79) and (44.58 to 80.26) in Belg and Meher season as compared to
zero application. Respectively. Therefore, it can be concluded that, the
use of combined application of CM (7.5 t ha-1) together with 75% of
recommended rates of mineral NP (123.75kg N ha-1 and 103.05kg P2O5
ha-1) can significantly increases growth, biomass yield, improvement in
tuber quality
