Abstract

During the experimental years of 2017 and 2018 eight potato cultivars were evaluated for their growth traits and productivity in tuber yield. The potato cultivars used in these experimental seasons were; Bubu (as a standard check), Chiro, Gebisa, Belete, Gudene, Badasa Jarso and Dedafa. The first six consecutive potatoes are improved cultivars which were released by Ethiopian research institute and University while the last two potatoes were collected from farmers and cultivated as local (native) cultivars. The objective of this study was to compare the growth and productivity potato cultivars grown at eastern regions of Ethiopia. The results revealed that performance of improved potato cultivars were high in both evaluated yield related traits and average tuber yield. The performances of evaluated potatoes were not similar among cultivars and within cultivar throughout experimental seasons. The experimental design was a randomized block design in three replications. The field management; seed tuber selection, land preparation, planting, fertilizer application method and amount, ridging, weeding, cultivation, harvesting, data collection method and collected data analysis has been carried out for all potato cultivars in similar manner. Potato tubers from four middle rows were analyzed for parameters such as tuber yield, tuber number, marketable and total tuber yield. The highest tuber yield was revealed with cultivar Bubu (39.4 t ha^-1) while the lowest with Jarso (20.89 t ha^-1). The highest tuber number was showed with cultivar Badasa (12.73 plant^-1) and the lowest with Belete (7 plant^-1). Hence, there were no correlation between average tuber yield and number.

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