Abstract:
Potato is an important food and cash crop, especially in the high and mid altitude areas of
Ethiopia. However, its production and productivity have constrained by inappropriate
agronomic practices such as earthing up frequencies and improper planting depth.This
study was conducted to evaluate the effect of earthing up frequencies and planting depth
on growth, yield and quality of potato under irrigation at Gayeta kebele, Dangla district,
Awi zone, North western Ethiopia, in 2019/2020. The experiment was laid out in
randomized complete block design with three levels of planting depths (5cm, 10cm and
15cm) and four level of earthing up frequencies (one time, two times, three times and no
earthing up),in 3x4 factorial arrangements with three replications. Phenological, growth,
yield and quality parameters were collected and analysed using SAS 9.0 software and
means of treatment effects were separated by using LSD at 1% or 5% probability level.
Results revealed that the main effects of planting depth and earthing up frequencies
significantly influenced most of the tested parameters of potato. On the other hand,
average tuber weight, medium tuber size and specific gravity were not significantly
affected by both planting depth and earthing up frequencies and their interaction effect.
Moreover, the interaction effect of planting depth and earthing up frquencies had a
significant effect on average tuber number, marketable tuber yield, total tuber yield,
number of green tuber and dry matter content. In conclusion, the highest marketable tuber
yield (21.20 t/ha) and total tuber yield (25.40 t /ha) were recorded at planting depth of
10cm combined with three times earthing up after full emergence. In addition, this
treatment combination also recorded the highest net benefit (144840 ETB ha
) with
marginal rate of return (806%). Therefore, planting depth at 10cm with three times
earthing-up frequencies after full emergence is recommended for economical production
of potato under irrigation at Gayta keble, Dangla district of Awi zone, and similar areas.
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