Optimizing Sowing Windows and Irrigation Schedules to Enhance Growth and Productivity of Potato Crop

Potato is the world’s fourth most important staple food crop with significant role in global food and nutritional security. The field study was carried out at research farm of Department of Agronomy, CSK HPKV, Palampur. The present field investigation was conducted to evaluate the effect of various sowing windows (10th December, 2020; 30th December, 2020; and 10th January, 2021) and irrigation schedules (2, 3, 4 and 5 irrigations) on potato growth and productivity. The study was conducted in a randomized block design with factorial arrangement, 12 treatments and 3 replications. The results of the investigation revealed that higher plant height, number of leaves, shoots, tubers per plant, average tuber weight and tuber yield were recorded for the 10th December sown crop whereas irrigation schedule consisting of 5 irrigations resulted in the higher plant height, number of leaves, shoots, tubers per plant, average tuber weight and tuber yield for potato crop. However, 10th January sown crop and 2 or 3 irrigation-based schedules resulted in the lowest plant height, number of leaves, shoots, tubers per plant, average tuber weight and tuber yield for the potato crop. Therefore, it can be recommended that sowing the crop on 10th December and following a 5- irrigation based schedule can result in enhanced growth and tuber yield for the potato crop.