A field experiment was conducted in Eastern Tigray, Ethiopia, during the
summer season to determine the effects of flower removal and earthing up
time on the tuber yield and quality of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.). The
experiment comprised three flower removal stages and five earthing up time
treatments, which were laid out in a randomized complete block design (RCBD)
of a 5x3 factorial arrangement with three replications. Data collected on
tuber yield and quality parameters were analyzed using SAS version 9.2. The
interaction of flower removal stages and earthing up time treatments
affected marketable and unmarketable tuber number and yield, total tuber
number and yield, large-sized tuber weight, and number of large-sized
tubers. The medium and small-sized tubers were also affected by main
treatments but not by their interaction treatments. Similarly, dry matter
content was significantly (p<0.05) affected by flower removal alone, but not
by earthing up time and its interaction with flower removal. Generally, the
highest marketable tuber yield (30.25 t ha-1), large-sized tuber weight
(424.9 g), the number of large-sized tubers (5), and total tuber yield
(30.96 t ha-1) were recorded in the treatment of potato flower removed at
the bud stage and earthed up at 15 days after complete emergence. Therefore,
the removal of potato flowers at the bud stage and earthing up at 15 days
after complete emergence and common cultivation can be practiced for better
tuber yield and quality of potato.
EFFECT OF GIBBERELLIC ACID ON GROWTH, TUBER YIELD AND QUALITY IN POTATOES (Solanum tuberosum L.)
