International Journal of Horticulture 2015, Vol.5, No.13, 1
-
4
4
Table 2 Analysis of variance for tuber yields.
Source of variation
df
Fpr.
Block
2
Storage
1
0.034*
Error a
2
Potato variety
4
<0.001**
Storage x Potato variety
4
<0.001**
Error b
16
Total
29
*=significant at P≤0.05; **=significant at P≤0.01;
yields (Table 2). In addition, the DLS stored tubers
gave significantly higher mean yields (16.62 ton/ha)
than the cold-stored ones (14.56 ton/ha). However,
most of the varieties yielded far below the expected
levels possibly because most tubers had aged during
storage. In addition, severe late blight outbreak later in
the season coupled with excessive rainfall may have
depressed the yields for most of the varieties even
further.
For Desiree, Dutch robjin and Kenya Karibu DLS
stored material gave significantly high yields than the
cold-stored materials; the opposite was true for variety
Tigoni (Figure 5).
The higher yields from DLS-stored tubers could be
due to their fast emergence as opposed to the
cold-stored tubers. Therefore in the face of low and
erratic rains occasioned by climate change, small-scale
farmers are better off adopting the low-cost DLS
technique to sprout their seed potato tubers. Such
well-sprouted seed tubers are likely to establish early
and yield well before the rains end.
Acknowledgement
The Authors are grateful to the National Council of
Science and Technology for funding this work, and,
Ministry of Agriculture, Mt. Kenya University and the
Kenya Agricultural Research Institute for facilitating
the study.
References
Cip, 1985a, Annual Report 1984, Centro Internacional de la Papa, Lima,
Peru
Demo P., 2002, Strategies for seed potato (
Solanum tuberosum
L.)
production using rooted apical meristem cuttings and tubers in
Cameroon, Ph.D. Thesis, University of Ibadan, Nigeria
Kari, 2008, Production of food (ware) potatoes, KARI information brochure,
Kenya Agricultural Research Institute, Nairobi, Kenya
