Existing cultivation practices of potato growers with fertilizer and chemical application in tribal areas of Chhattisgarh

The present study was conducted in Surguja District of Chhattisgarh. The study revealed that, majority of respondents 57.50 per cent were having cultivation of potato on up to 2 ha of land, 67.5 per cent of respondents had arranged the seed by broker, none of the respondents were found in the category of self preparing the seed of potato. Usually farmers have tendency to apply high seed rate, which leads to high competition. In case of potato, nearly 65.84 per cent of respondents were using seed rate of 5.1-7 q ha-1. Majority of respondents 73.34 per cent were doing seed treatment by chemical (Bavistin, indofil m-45, thiuram, egalal (2-3 ml/litre), Maximum of the respondents (56.66%) were growing kufri badshah. Regarding type of seed material shows that cent per cent of the respondents were using tuber as seed material. 54.16 per cent of respondents were cultivating the potato with 81-150 kg ha-1 nitrogen, (42.5%) were cultivating potato by using phosphorus up to 50 kg ha-1, and (54.16%) were cultivating the potato by using potash up to 50 kg ha-1, As regards to use of FYM, 75.00 per cent of respondents were cultivating the potato without application of F.Y.M., data regarding weed control 55.84 per cent of respondents followed weed control measure manually, majority of respondents (88.34%) were applying chemical for protection of crop. Cent per cent of respondents were using digging method for harvest the potato crop. Maximum of respondents 54.17 per cent were not storing the produce, (80.84%) were adopting other method (out of state/ from home) for saling their produce.