Growth, Morphological and Yield Characteristics of Five Potato (Solanum Tuberosum L.) Varieties Treated with Organic-Based Fertilizers

The study was carried out to evaluate the best organic-based fertilizer for potato production as well as the best performing variety based on resistance to pests and diseases and yield characteristics, five potato varieties were grown under two different organic-based fertilizer with without organic fertilizer application as the control. The results showed that no significant difference among the treatments but plant applied with BSU grower's compost had the highest percent survival at 60 DAP. Plants with no application of organic fertilizer had moderately vigorous growth, while plants applied with BSU Grower's compost and vermicompost were highly vigorous. At 90 DAP all plants were vigorous and no significant differences were observed among the five varieties on plant vigour. There were significant differences among the plants applied with different organic-based fertilizers on treatments on the number and weight of marketable tuber yields. Similar results were obtained among the varieties with Igorota recording the highest number and heaviest marketable tubers with 209 and 17.8 kg/m2, respectively. Plants applied with BSU Grower's compost and vermicompost were observed to be highly resistant to leaf miner and with no significant differences among the five varieties. No significant differences were observed in the different treatments and the varieties on their resistance to late blight.