COMPARISON OF APHID INCIDENCE ON TWO POTATO VARIETIES AND APPRAISAL OF CROP WATER PRODUCTIVITY UNDER TWO IRRIGATION TECHNIQUES
Abstract
Potatoes are a staple food in many countries. It is a rich source of carbohydrates and other dietary substances. However, potato production at a sustainable level is vulnerable to many biotic factors, including insects and pathogens, as well as abiotic challenges such as water scarcity. To achieve a bumper potato crop, these issues need to be addressed. Hence, the present research work was conducted to assess the impact of two irrigation systems: drip vs flood irrigation on pest incidence and crop water productivity of two potato varieties: Santana and Alverstone. The experiment was conducted using a Randomized Complete Block Design with three replications. Results showed that aphid incidence was significantly affected by the irrigation system, with higher populations under flood irrigation than drip irrigation. The highest aphid population (3.65 per plant) was observed in the AVR variety under flood irrigation, while the lowest (1.75 per plant) was recorded in the Santana variety under drip irrigation. Potato tuber yield was also influenced by irrigation method. The Santana variety produced higher yields than AVR under both systems. The highest yield (12,849 kg ha⁻¹) was obtained from Santana under flood irrigation, followed by drip irrigation, while the lowest yield (10,649 kg ha⁻¹) was recorded for AVR under drip irrigation. Crop water productivity varied with irrigation method and variety, ranging from 2.08 to 2.27 kg m⁻³. The highest water productivity was achieved by Santana under drip irrigation, while the lowest was observed in AVR under drip irrigation. Scab disease incidence ranged from 2.12% to 3.65%. The highest occurrence was found in AVR under flood irrigation, whereas the lowest was recorded in Santana under drip irrigation. Selection of efficient irrigation together with appropriate potato variety could be beneficial to achieve the enhanced crop water productivity.
