PRODUCTION POTENTIAL OF AEROPONIC POTATO AS INFLUENCED BY DIFFERENT PLANTING AND IRRIGATION METHODS IN NORTH-CENTRAL INDIA.

Aeroponic is well established technology for more efficient and high quality seed potato production. An experiment was carried out at Central Potato Research Institute, Regional Station, Gwalior (MP) to find out the suitable method of planting and irrigation for further multiplication of aeroponic minitubers under net house conditions with six treatment combinations. Aeroponic minitubers of two popular potato variety of the region viz Kufri Lauvkar and Kufri Surya were planted with two types of seed beds viz flat bed and ridge and furrow with 30 cm v 10 cm spacing in which sprinkler and furrow irrigation method was applied. Among planting beds, significantly higher emergence% was recorded in ridge and furrow planting (87.22) over flatbed planting method (83.89). Weight of tubers was significantly higher in sprinkler irrigation (105.7 q/ha), ridge and furrow planting (107.8 q/ha) and variety Kufri Lauvkar (114.1q/ha) over furrow irrigation (98.3 q/ha), flat bed planting (96.2 q/ha) and variety Kufri Surya (89.8 q/ha) respectively. Significantly higher seed size (40-80g) tubers were recorded in sprinkler irrigation method (3% by number and 12.6% by weight) and variety Kufri Lauvkar (3.6% by number and 17.6% by weight) over furrow irrigation and Kufri Surya. Therefore, for higher production, minituber multiplication should be done in ridge and furrow method of planting with sprinkler irrigation under North-Central conditions of India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]