Influence of Crop Diversification in Potato-Based Cropping Sequence on Growth, Productivity and Economics of Potato in Red and Lateritic Soil of West Bengal

Field experiment was conducted at Agricultural farm of the Institute during 2020-21 and 2021-22 to study growth, yield attributes, yield and economics of potato as influenced by potato-based cropping sequences.The experiment, consisted of seven treatments (viz.Potato-sesame; Potato-green gram; Potato-baby corn; Potato-okra; Potato-groundnut; Potato-blackgram and Potato-vegetable cowpea.Potato in potato-groundnut sequence exhibited highest growth, yield attributes (number of tubers hill and fresh weight of tubers hill ) with -1 -1tuber and haulm yield of 23.95 and 1.30 t ha , respectively.Highest gross return, net return and return per rupee investment in potato was also -1 achieved from potato-groundnut sequence (₹ 264 × 10 ha , ₹ 174 × 10 ha and 2.91, respectively).These were at par with potato in potato--vegetable cowpea, potato-blackgram and potato-green gram sequences and significantly higher than potato in potato-sesame, potato-baby corn and potato-okra cropping sequences.Inclusion of legume crops in potato-based cropping sequences enhanced tuber and haulm yield of potato resulting in higher return from the sequence.