NUTRITIONAL STATUS OF POTATO (Solanum tuberosum L.) IN LAHAUL VALLEY OF HIMACHAL PRADESH
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Date
2023-11-26
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UHF,NAUNI
Abstract
The present investigation entitled “Nutritional Status of Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) in
Lahaul valley of Himachal Pradesh’’ was carried out during 2022-2023 in Lahaul and Spiti district
of Himachal Pradesh with the objective to evaluate the soil quality and plant nutrient content under
natural and conventional farming practice and work out the relationship between soil nutrient status
and plant nutrient contents. A preliminary survey of district Lahaul was conducted and three
panchayats were identified for soil and plant sampling. 30 representative surface soil samples along
with plant samples (5 each of conventional and natural farming system from each panchayat) from
same site were collected and analyzed. Potato growing soils of Lahaul and Spiti district under
conventional farming system had significantly higher available primary and secondary nutrients as
well as micronutrients compared to the natural farming system. The soil N, P, K, Ca, Mg and S were
recorded 5%, 10.5%, 7%, 6%, 13% and 7.4%, respectively, higher under conventional farming as
compared to natural farming system. Similarly, micronutrients viz. Zn, Fe, Cu and Mg were recorded
13.4%, 4%, 9.4% and 14%, higher, respectively under conventional farming system as compared to
natural farming system. However, organic carbon was recorded 30.5% higher under natural as
compared to conventional farming system. Viable microbial count (62.17×105 cfu g-1 bacteria,
11.54×103 cfu g-1 Fungi and 27.92×103 cfu g-1 Actinomycetes) were also recorded higher under
natural compared to conventional farming system, which indicating improved soil biological
properties under natural farming. Further, conventional farming system recorded higher macro as well
as micronutrients in leaf and tuber compared to the natural farming system. Consequently, yield of
potato was significantly higher (230.00 q ha-1) under conventional farming system as compared to
natural farming (200.02 q ha-1) but natural farming system appears to have an economic advantage
over conventional farming system.