Response of Potato Cultivars to Organic and Inorganic Fertilizers Under the Agroclimatic Conditions of Skardu (Gilgit-Baltistan)

Field research was conducted during summer season in 2010, in order to determine the effectivecombination between potato varieties i.e., the best yielding potato cultivar under organic or inorganicfertilizer in Skardu valley, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan. A randomized complete block design (RCBD) wasused for the trial and both the experimental factors (cultivar and fertilizer type) significantly affected thecrops growth and yield variables. Among the nine different organic and inorganic fertilizer treatments, themaximum mean values of sprouting rate 43.1%, plant height 49.5 cm, number of tubers/plant (8.5), weightof tubers/plant (385.9 g), tuber diameter 3.8 cm and yield (25.7 t/ha) were obtained in the crops whichreceived 10 tonnes FYM/ha + 150 kg N/ha. Among the cultivars tested, Desiree showed the maximummean values of sprouting rate 30.4%, plant height 36.7 cm, number of tubers/plant 7.3, weight of tubers/plant350.3 g, tuber diameter 3.7 cm and yield 23.4 t/ha. Overall results revealed that the treatment matched to10 t/ha FYM + 150 kg/ha N (T7) led to the highest tuber yield and Desiree showed better performancesthan other cultivars.