Evaluation of Six Modern Varieties of Potatoes for Yield, Plant Growth Parameters and Resistance to Insects and Diseases

Abstract

Six modern varieties of potatoes (Diamant, Cardinal, Granola, Felsina, Provento and Asterix) were investigated for their growth parameters and yield to determine their suitability for production in Bangladesh. Results indicate significant variations among the varieties in the yield and morphological characteristics and no difference in the number of main stems per hill. Among the six studied varieties, Asterix produced the greatest yield (29.60 t/ha), the greatest number of tubers per hill (13 tubers/hill), the largest percentage (84%) of medium sized tubers (28 - 55 mm diameter), and the greatest plant height (61.33 cm). Diamant performed second after Asterix with a yield of 28.33 t/ha, and a plant height of 59.0 cm. Felsina produced the lowest yield (25.13 t/ha) and the lowest number of tubers per hill (8.67 tubers/hill). In a farmers’ perception study, where farmers scored the yield and resistance to diseases and insect damage of the six varieties, from 1 to 6 (6 being the highest and 1 being the lowest), Asterix was the most preferred variety by farmers with scores of 6, 5.67 and 5.83 for yield, disease resistance and insect resistance respectively. Provento was the least preferred by farmers with a score of overall performance of 4. The results of this study indicate that Asterix and Diamant have the potential to be grown successfully by the farmers in Bangladesh.