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Growth, yield and tuber quality of Solanum tuberosum L. under supplemental ultraviolet‐B radiation at different NPK levels
Author(s) -
Singh S.,
Kumari R.,
Agrawal M.,
Agrawal S. B.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
plant biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.871
H-Index - 87
eISSN - 1438-8677
pISSN - 1435-8603
DOI - 10.1111/j.1438-8677.2010.00395.x
Subject(s) - solanum tuberosum , nutrient , sugar , biology , yield (engineering) , crop , zoology , horticulture , reducing sugar , dry weight , solanum , agronomy , food science , ecology , materials science , metallurgy
In many areas, decreases in the stratospheric ozone layer have resulted in an increase in ultraviolet‐B (UV‐B, 280–315 nm) radiation reaching the Earth’s surface. The present study was conducted to evaluate the interactive effects of supplemental UV‐B (sUV‐B) and mineral nutrients on a tuber crop, potato ( Solanum tuberosum L. var Kufri Badshah), under natural field conditions in a dry tropical environment. The nutrient treatments were the recommended dose of NPK (F o ), 1.5 times the recommended dose of NPK (F 1 ), 1.5 times the recommended dose of N (F 2 ) and 1.5 times the recommended dose of K (F 3 ). The response of potato plants to sUV‐B varied with nutrient treatment and concentration. sUV‐B adversely affected growth, yield and quality of tubers, causing an increase in reducing sugars in the tubers and thus reducing the economic value. Growth and fresh weight of tubers was maximal with sUV‐B at 1.5 times recommended NPK, but the dry weight of tubers were highest with the recommended NPK dose. Reducing sugar content was lower in potato plants treated with sUV‐B and the recommended NPK than with sUV‐B and 1.5 times the recommended NPK. This study thus clearly shows that growing potato with 1.5 times the recommended NPK or 1.5 times the recommended dose of N/K does not alleviate the sUV‐B induced changes in yield and quality of tubers compared to the recommended NPK dose.