2026 Vol-6 Issue-2 | GROWTH AND YIELD RESPONSE OF THREE POTATO VARIETIES TO INTRAROW SPACING AND POTASSIUM FERTILIZER ON THE JOS PLATEAU, NIGERIA

Feld experiment was conducted during 2016 and 2017 wet seasons, at the experimental farm of the National Root Crops Research Institute, Umudike, Potato Programme Kuru 0 '' 0 '(Lat 09 44 N and Long 08 44 E, 1400 m altitude) with an annual rainfall of 1400 mm and at 0 ' 0 'teaching and research farm of Plateau State University Bokkos (Lat 9 18N, long 9 52E. 1189 m altitude) with annual rainfall of 1386 mm) at the Jos Plateau. The experiment investigated the growth and yield of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) varieties as influenced by intra–row spacing and potassium fertilizer on the Jos Plateau, Nigeria. The treatments evaluated consisted of three potato varieties (Zafira, Caruso, and Connect), three intra–row spacings (20, 30, and 40 cm), and three potassium (K2O) rates (0, 40, and 60 Kg K2O ha-1). Potassium and intra - row spacing were combined and allocated to main plots, while variety was assigned to the sub plots in a split plot design replicated three times. The result indicates significant (P < 0.05) differences in terms of varietal response to applied treatments. The result of this report revealed that; at Bokkos and Kuru, plant height recorded by Connect, had significantly (P < 0.05) highest value of (62.69 cm) and (60.18 cm) respectively and number of branches had significantly (P < 0.05) highest value (5.18 and 6.44) while intra – row spacing had significantly (P < 0.05), (4.30) and (5.88) at 40 cm intra – row spacing respectively. Application of 60 Kg K2O ha-1 enhanced plant height (cm) at Bokkos and Kuru (59.55 cm), (59.92 cm), number of branches (3.93), (5.45) and total tuber yield t ha-1 (23.83 t ha-1) and (23.95 t ha-1) respectively. Variety Connect planted at 40 cm intra – row spacing and treated with 60 Kg K2O ha-1 produced the most robust plants and highest total tuber yield (t ha-1 ) at both locations during the two years of experimentation. Therefore, Connect can be adopted for potato production on the Jos plateau, Nigeria.