Effect of Compost Tea and some Nutrient Supplements on Growth and Yield of Two Potato Cultivars

Abstract

A field experiment was carried out during two summer seasons of 2017and 2018 at Private Farm, at El-Salhyia District, Sharkia Governorate, Egypt, to study the effect of compost tea and some nutrient supplements on growth and yield of some potato cultivars (Bavana and Eliance) grown in loamy sand soil conditions. The results showed that, Bavana cultivar gave higher number of main stems/plant, shoots dry weight/plant and total chlorophyll in leaf tissues, whereas Eliance cultivar gave higher values of plant height, number of tubers/plant, average tuber weight, tuber yield/plant and total yield/ fed. and spraying potato plants with compost tea supplemented with NH4NO3( 0.5g/l) + molasses (0.5% v/v) led to increased number of leaves/plant, shoots dry weight, number of tubers/plant, average tuber weight, tuber yield/plant and total yield/ fed. In addition, spraying Bavana cultivar with compost tea supplemented with NH4NO3 + molasses or molasses or NH4NO3 gave the maximum values of number of main stems/plant, total chlorophyll, total carbohydrates and starch with no significant differences between them. On the other hand, spraying Eliance cultivar with compost tea supplemented with NH4NO3+molasses increased significantly plant height. Moreover, the interaction treatments between Bavana or Eliance plants and spraying compost tea supplemented with NH4NO3+ molasses or with molasses had significant effect on average tuber weight, tuber yield/plant, total yield/fed., DM% and P%. In addition, spraying Eliance cultivar with compost tea supplemented with NH4NO3 increased P and K contents in tubers, while, N and total protein in tubers were significantly enhanced due to spraying Bavana cultivar with compost tea supplemented with NH4NO3.