The effects of flower removal and earthing up on tuber yield and quality of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.)

A field experiment was conducted in Eastern Tigray, Ethiopia, during the summer season to determine the effects of flower removal and earthing up time on the tuber yield and quality of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.). The experiment comprised three flower removal stages and five earthing up time treatments, which were laid out in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) of a 5x3 factorial arrangement with three replications. Data collected on tuber yield and quality parameters were analyzed using SAS version 9.2. The interaction of flower removal stages and earthing up time treatments affected marketable and unmarketable tuber number and yield, total tuber number and yield, large-sized tuber weight, and number of large-sized tubers. The medium and small-sized tubers were also affected by main treatments but not by their interaction treatments. Similarly, dry matter content was significantly (p<0.05) affected by flower removal alone, but not by earthing up time and its interaction with flower removal. Generally, the highest marketable tuber yield (30.25 t ha-1), large-sized tuber weight (424.9 g), the number of large-sized tubers (5), and total tuber yield (30.96 t ha-1) were recorded in the treatment of potato flower removed at the bud stage and earthed up at 15 days after complete emergence. Therefore, the removal of potato flowers at the bud stage and earthing up at 15 days after complete emergence and common cultivation can be practiced for better tuber yield and quality of potato.