Effect of soil solarization on true potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) seed germination, seedling growth, weed population and tuber yield

Abstract

True potato seed of 17 progenies were evaluated during 2002-03 and 2003-04 crop seasons for 12 characters related to seed germination, seedling growth and weed population in nursery beds and tuber yield of transplanted seedlings under non-solarized field conditions. Solariza- tion was found to have beneficial effect on seed germination, seedling growth and yield of transplanted seedlings. Total weeds and major annual weed Cornopus didymus were reduced to a great extent due to solarization. However solarization had no effect on Cyperus rotundus. Progenies also showed significant differences among themselves for the various characters studied. The progeny x solarization interaction was also significant for all the characters. Yield increase in present study shows that the approach involving raising of seedlings in so- larized nursery beds and subsequent transfer of seedlings to non-solarized field would be cost-effective and profitable for raising true seed crop of potato.