Effect of different doses of zinc on growth and yield of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) cv. Kufri Khyati under Chhattisgarh plain condition

Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.), a vital tuberous crop of the Solanaceae family with an auto-tetraploid chromosome number (2n = 4x = 48), holds significant importance in India’s agricultural economy. Originating from the Andes of South America, potato is a major cash crop cultivated extensively for its starchy tubers. A field experiment was conducted during the Rabi seasons of 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 at the Research cum Demonstrational Farm, College of Agriculture, Indira Gandhi Krishi Vishwavidyalaya, Raipur, Chhattisgarh, to evaluate the effect of different doses of zinc on growth and yield parameters of potato. The experiment was laid out in randomized block design with three replication and eleven treatments viz., T₁: No Zn (Control),T₂:2.5 kg zinc /ha from zinc sulphate @ at the time of planting, T₃:5.0 kg zinc /ha zinc from zinc sulphate at the time of planting, T₄:Foliar application of Zinc sulphate @ 2g/liter (400 ppm Zn) at 25 days after planting, T₅: Foliar application of Zinc sulphate @ 2g/liter (400 ppm Zn) at 25 and 50 days after planting, T₆: T₂+Foliar application of Zinc sulphate @ 2g/liter (400 ppm Zn) at 25 days after planting, T₇: T₂+Foliar application of Zinc sulphate @ 2g/liter (400 ppm Zn) at 25 and 50 days after planting, T₈: 7.5 kg zinc /ha from zinc sulphate @ at the time of planting, T₉: 10 kg zinc /ha from zinc sulphate @ at the time of planting, T₁₀: T₃+Foliar application of Zinc sulphate @ 2g/liter (400 ppm Zn) at 25 days after planting, T₁₁: T₃+Foliar application of Zinc sulphate @ 2g/liter (400 ppm Zn) at 25 and 50 days after planting.Results revealed that zinc application significantly influenced growth and yield traits. The highest values for plant height, number of compound leaves per plant, number of shoots per plant, fresh and dry weight of shoots were recorded under treatment T₁₁ (5.0 kg Zn/ha from ZnSO₄ at planting + foliar application of ZnSO₄ @ 2 g/L at 25 and 50 days after planting). Similarly, yield and yield-attributing characters such as number of tubers per plant, total tuber count, marketable tuber yield, and total tuber yield were maximized under T₁₁. Economic analysis showed that T₁₁ also resulted in the highest gross return, net return, and benefit-cost (B:C) ratio. Based on these findings, the combined soil and foliar application of zinc at these doses is recommended to enhance vegetative growth, yield, and profitability in potato cultivation under Chhattisgarh plain conditions.