Productivity and profitability of different cultivars of potato (Solanum tuberosum) as affected by organic and inorganic sources of nutrients

Field experiments were conducted during winter of 2005-06 and 2006-07 at Hooghly, West Bengal to investi- gate the effect of different organic and inorganic sources of nutrients on productivity and profitability of potato ( Solanum tuberosum L.) cultivars. The treatments consisted 3 varieties, viz. Kufri Chipsona-1, Kufri Chipsona-2 and Kufri Jyoti in main-plots and 4 nutrient sources, viz. Farmyard manure (FYM) @ 35 t/ha (N ), FYM @ 30 t/ha 1 + biofertilizers (N ), FYM @ 25 t/ha + mustard cake @ 1 t/ha (N ), recommended dose of NPK i.e. 180:66:125 kg/ 2 3 ha N, P, K (N ) in sub-plots. Varieties had significant variations in growth and yield attributes, yield and nutrient up- 4 take. Higher growth attributes were recorded under Kufri Chipsona-1 except plant height. Hence, Kufri Chipsona- 1 gave maximum number of tubers, total tuber yield (28.18 and 28.39 t/ha), NPK uptake, net profit and B:C ratio (1.28, 1.22). Among sources of nutrient recommended dose of NPK showed better performance in all respects and registered 4.7 to 9.7% more tuber yield when compared with other nutrient sources. The highest B:C ratio (1.34, 1.29) was also recorded in recommended dose of NPK treatment. Higher dry weight of tubers (718.15, 722.40 g/m2), number of tubers (680.21, 690.74 thousand/ha) and tuber yield (29.44, 29.89 t/ha) were obtained from Kufri Chipsona-1 potato treated with recommended dose of NPK.