Evaluation of different varieties of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) for growth, yield and quality characters

Abstract

A field experiment, conducted at ICAR–Indian Institute of Farming Systems Research, Modipuram, to evaluate the performance of six potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) varieties Kufri Thar-3, Kufri Surya, Kufri Uday, Kufri Bahar, Kufri Anand, and Kufri Thar-1 under local agro-climatic conditions on growth, quality, and yield attributes at 60 and 90 days after planting (DAP), revealed significant varietal differences across all parameters. Kufri Anand exhibited superior vegetative growth in terms of plant height and number of leaves, Kufri Surya and Kufri Bahar demonstrated strong vegetative vigour and higher dry matter and starch content and Kufri Thar-3 and Kufri Surya recorded high TSS values, suggesting enhanced metabolic activity. Kufri Uday consistently recorded the highest average tuber weight per plant (561.20 g), number of tubers (7.80), and overall yield (36.30 t ha–1), establishing its suitability for high-yield production. In contrast, Kufri Thar-1 recorded the lowest yield (28.20 t ha–1), despite showing moderate vegetative performance. The findings emphasize the importance of varietal selection to optimize productivity and quality based on site-specific agro-ecological conditions.