THE SPACING EFFECTS ON POTATO TUBER SEED YIELD IN FARTA DISTRICT, NORTHWESTERN ETHIOPIA

This experiment was conducted to determine the optimum row spacing of potato variety (CIP-393371.58) to seed tuber production in Farta District. Factorial combinations of three intra-row (25, 30 and 35cm) and four inter-row spacing (50, 60, 70 and 80 cm) treatments were laid out in RCBD with three replications. All phenological, growth and yield parameters were significantly affected by the main effects of intra and inter-row spacing while, fresh weight, average tuber weight, marketable tuber yield, unmarketable tuber yield, small size tuber weight and medium size tuber weight were highly significantly affected by their interaction effect. The optimum seed tuber, marketable tuber number per hill, total tuber number per hill, marketable tuber yield, total tuber yield and tuber yield and harvest index was obtained on 25cm intra-row spacing and 60 cm inter-row spacing planted potato. However, the economic analysis indicated that the highest marketable tuber yield (37.26 tha-1) was observed on25x60 cm intra-row and inter-row spacing crop. Whereas the lowest marketable and profitable yield was recorded at 25x50 and 35x70 cm intra-row and inter-row spacing, respectively. However, the highest net benefit was obtained from 25x60 cm spacing. Therefore, based on the finding of this study, it can be concluded that, high marketable, economically feasible and optimum Belete seed potato was obtained by planting potato at 25 cm intra-row and 60 cm inter-row spacing.