Abstract
Field studies were conducted to determine the contribution of seed tuber size on late blight management, weed abundance, crop performance and net farm income. Seed tuber sizes were as follows: small size (15 to 27 mm), size 1 (28–35 mm), size 2 (36–45 mm) and size 3 (46–60 mm) of Shangi, Kenya Mpya, Unica and Dutch Robijn potato varieties. Fungicide spray regimes were weekly, biweekly and triweekly. Data on late blight severity, weed frequency and density, growth parameters, costs and revenues were collected. Results revealed that seed tuber size, variety and fungicide application regime had significant (P ≤ 0.05) effects on late blight severity. As such, weekly spray intervals reduced blight severity by 50%, and the blight-tolerant variety (K. Mpya) suppressed the disease to below 1%. Whereas the lowest disease severity was observed on seed sizes 2 (44%) and 3 (43%), the highest blight score was recorded in small seed size (59%) after 70 days of emergence. Notwithstanding the variety used, a combination of seed size 2 with weekly spray interval showed the lowest disease progression as compared to any other combination. Crop growth parameters differences were phenomenal among seed sizes: stem count increased six-fold, while height and canopy were double the observation made in the small seed size for seed sizes 2 and 3. Weed frequency, relative frequency and density decreased with increasing seed size planted. As a result, seed tuber sizes 1, 2 and 3 augmented marketable yield by 49%, 62% and 65% as compared to the small tuber size, respectively. However, seed size 2 had the highest cost–benefit ratio (1.50), followed by size 3 (1.05).
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Data concerning this study can be availed upon request.
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Acknowledgements
We are grateful for the funding by Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO) Tigoni through the Centre Director. We appreciate the valuable support of the following students: Nancy Olive Nyambura (Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology), Hannah Wanjiku Gitau (University of Nairobi), Joseph Kuria Mwangi (Egerton University) and Monica Wanjiru Kamau (Moi University) for assisting in data collection and recording for the experiment under close supervision of the authors.
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The study was funded by the Centre Revolving Fund of KALRO.
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Kilonzi, J.M., Githui, D., Pwaipwai, P. et al. Effects of Seed Tuber Size of Potato Varieties on Fungicide Spray Regime, Weed Infestation and Net Farm Income in Potato Production. Potato Res. (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11540-024-09708-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11540-024-09708-1