YIELD VARIATION, SUGAR AND ANTIOXIDANT CONTENT OF POTATO AS INFLUENCED BY VERMICOMPOST AND FOLLOWED BY PERFORMANCE AT AMBIENT STORAGE CONDITION

Abstract

The experiment was conducted at Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka1207, during the period from November, 2014 to April, 2015 to evaluate the effect of

variety and vermicompost on the yield, sugar and antioxidant activity of potato and

their performance under ambient storage condition. The experiment

consists of two

factors, i.e., factor A:- Potato varieties (V4): V 1 :BARI TPS-1, V :BARI Alu-28 (Lady Rosetta),V 3 : BARI Alu-25 (Asterix)and V 4 2 :BARI Alu-29 (Courage); factor B:-Vermicompost level (M-4):M 1 : 0 t/ha, M 2 : 2 t/ha, M 3 :4 t/ha and M : 6 t/ha and was laid out in a split-plot design with 3 replications. The present study revealed that vermicompost had significant effect on most of the yield and quality contributing parameters. Results demonstrated that yield and other parameters increased with increasing vermicompost level. Among the sixteen treatment combination, Asterix with vermicompost at the rate of 4 t/ha produced the maximum yield (36.01 t/ha) but Asterix with vermicompost at the rate of 6t/ha showed the highest specific gravity, dry matter, glucose, sucrose, ascorbic acid, antioxidant and polyphenol content. These two combinations also showed little bit higher concentration of glucose and sucrose compared to those of other combinations.In case of ambient storage condition; dry matter, specific gravity, starch, polyphenol and ascorbic acid decreased with increasing storing period while weight loss, total soluble solid (TSS), glucose, sucrose and antioxidant content increased with increasing storing period of up to 60 days. Lady Rosetta and Asterix may store under ambient storage condition up to 60 DAS without imparting any significant quality losses just prior to sprouting of tuber. It may be concluded that, the potato growers of Bangladesh may apply vermicopmpost on their field at the rate of 6 t/ha for maintaining better yield and good processing quality.

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