Abstract            Volume:8  Issue-4  Year-2020         Original Research Articles

Online ISSN : 2347 - 3215 Issues : 12 per year Publisher : Excellent Publishers Email : editorijcret@gmail.com

Even though potato is the most important food security and cash crop, its productivity is constrained by improper irrigation water and fertilizer application. Hence, the study was conducted to evaluate the effect of irrigation interval and NP fertilizer rates on yield and yield components of potato at Boloso Sore, Southern Ethiopia. The treatments consisted of three levels of irrigation interval (every 5, 7 and 9 days) and five rates of NP fertilizer (0:0; 55.5:44.7; 111:89.4; 166.5:134 and 222:178.7 kg ha^-1). The treatments were laid out in split plot design with three replications. Data were collected on growth, yield and yield related parameters of the crop. Results of the study revealed that main and interaction effects of the treatments significantly influenced most of the studied parameters. Statistically, the lowest (14.55 t ha^-1) and the highest (43.26 tha^-1) marketable tuber yield were recorded due to combined effects of every 9 days irrigation interval with application of 0:0 kg NP ha^-1 and every 5 days irrigation with application of NP at the rate of 222: 178.7 kg ha^-1, respectively. Regarding economic analysis, the maximum net benefit (372,441.55 ETBha^-1) and acceptable marginal rate of return (2558) were achieved from application of irrigation water in every 5 days and NP fertilizer at the rate of 222: 178.7 kg ha^-1. Therefore, this treatment combination can be considered by potato producers in order to harvest maximum marketable tuber yield and best economic return in situations similar to this experiment.

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