EFFECT OF IRRIGATION WITH ALKALI WATER ON YIELD AND STORAGE OF POTATO

An experiment was conducted at experiment farm of Saline water project, R.B.S. College, Bichpuri, Agea during the year 2003-04 to 2008-09. The results of experiment showed that the yield of 'A' grade potato tuber was higher (130 q/ha) when crop was irrigated with canal water and 'B' grade potato tuber yield was (74.7 q/ha) when irrigated with alkali water. The use of two years canal water : One year alkali water, One uear canal water : Two years alkali water and mixing (2 parts canal : 1 part alkali water) produced the 'A' grade tuber yield at par but 'B' and 'C' grade yield was higher in these treatment. The rest other treatments produced the 'B' and 'C' grade tuber yield higher. The results indicated that there was 30.6% weight loss of potatoes produced in canal water irrigated treatment during the room storage while such loss was 52.4% in alkali water irrigated potatoes. The treatment One year canal : Two year alkali. Two year canal : One year alkali water irrigation treatments were at par in weight loss of potatoes during storage.