Vol. 9, Issue 9 (2020)

Author(s):
SB Shah, KD Desai and AK Pandey

Abstract:
A field experiment was laid out at AICRP on Tuber Crops, Regional Horticultural Research Station (RHRS), Navsari Agricultural University, Navsari on sweet potato cv. Bhukanti during Rabi, 2017-18. The experiment was arranged over 12 treatment combinations comprising, 3 levels of RDF (F₁: 100% RDF, F₂: 80% RDF and F₃: 60% RDF) and 4 levels of spraying 2% Novel (S₁: No spray, S₂: spraying 2% Novel at 30 and 45 DAP, S₃: Spraying 2% Novel at 30, 45 and 60 DAP and S₄: spraying 2% Novel at 30, 45, 60 and 75 DAP) which was laid out in a randomized block design (with factorial concept) and replicated thrice. Application of 100% RDF (F₁) recorded higher average tuber weight of 186.87 g with minimum number of tuberous roots (3.03) and statistically remained at par with F₂ treatment. Other yield parameters did not show significant effect due to different levels of fertilizers. Maximum tuber yield (0.513 kg vine^-1) and average tuber weight (189.69 g) was obtained in S₄ treatment (spraying 2% Novel at 30, 45, 60 and 75 DAP) and statistically remained at par with S₃ treatment. Significantly higher total tuber yield (5.872 kg net plot^-1 and 30.58 t ha^-1), marketable tuber yield (4.867 kg net plot^-1 and 25.35 t ha^-1), and harvest index (46.14%) with lower number of tuberous roots (2.92) was recorded in the S₄ treatment. F₁ and S₄ treatments recorded higher total sugars content of 2.62 per cent and 2.64 per cent, respectively.