Abstract

Limitation of well adapted varieties and unavailability of quality seed are the main constraint of farmer’s potato production in Libokemkem and Fogera Districts in Northwest Ethiopia. Consequently, the study was carried out to evaluate the yield and growth performance of six improved potato varieties with a local cultivar as a check on two farmers’ fields at Taragedam and Awuramba kebeles from Libokemkem and Fogera districts, respectively. The varieties were planted in randomized complete block design with three replications in rain fed growing season of 2018/19. Data for tuber yield and yield attributing traits like tuber numbers, tuber weight, plant height, stem numbers per hill, days to emergence, days to 50% flowering and days to maturity were recorded. Results of analysis of variance indicated that there were highly significance differences (P <0.01) among varieties for almost all measured traits in the study. The mean yield of tested potato varieties over two locations was 22.2 t ha-1. The varieties Belete and Jalene were found to be the higher tuber yield with mean values of 32.5 and 28.8 t ha-1, respectively. In conclusion, these varieties are safely recommended for potato growers in the study and having similar agro ecology areas in the surrounding. Furthermore, successive quality tuber seed multiplications of these varieties are essential to satisfy farmer’s seed demand.