STRENGTHENING SEED POTATO AGRONOMY THROUGH ORGANIC AND PHOSPHORUS NUTRITION BASED INTERVENTIONS

Punjab contributes significantly to India’s seed potato supply, yet its potato productivityremains below expectations. Poor nutrient management, particularly phosphorus, is a key factor inthis underperformance. This study, conducted over two years in Ludhiana and Jalandhar, utilizeda split-plot design to test three organic treatments (farmyard manure, biofertilizer, control) and fivephosphorus fertilizer levels (46.9, 62.5, 93.8, 125, 0 kg ha-1 P2O5). Farmyard manure (FYM) significantlyincreased plant height, LAI, and tuber and haulm weights at 45 and 75 days after sowing (DAS)compared to other organic treatments. FYM consistently outperformed tuber yield compared to othertreatments in both locations and years. Phosphorus application at 125 kg ha-1 P2O5 enhanced tuberyield by up to 24% compared to unfertilized plots, with improvements in plant growth attributes.The highest tuber yields were achieved with FYM (50 t ha-1) and phosphorus levels up to 125 kgha-1 P2O5)., underscoring the effectiveness of these strategies in optimizing seed potato production.