The influence of graded nitrogen levels and accumulated growing degree days on the tuber yield of the heat-resistant/tolerant potato variety Kufri Surya

The influence of graded nitrogen levels and accumulated growing degree days on the tuber yield of the heat-resistant/tolerant potato variety Kufri Surya | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article The influence of graded nitrogen levels and accumulated growing degree days on the tuber yield of the heat-resistant/tolerant potato variety Kufri Surya Ashok Mishra, Debasish Ghosal, Ananya Mishra, Swarnalata Das, and 6 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-4337633/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Published Journal Publication published 11 Jul, 2025 Read the published version in Potato Research → Version 1 posted 6 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract The effect of varying doses of nitrogen (0, 75, 150, 225, and 300 kg ha − 1 ) on the tuber yield and economic outcomes of the potato variety Kufri Surya was investigated at the All India Coordinated Research Project on Potato, Odisha University of Agriculture & Technology, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India, during the winter seasons over a five-year period from 2013-14 to 2017-18. The experimental site featured sandy-loam soil with a pH of 5.2 and an electrical conductivity (EC) of 0.297 dSm − 1 . The experiment utilized a randomized block design with four replications. The crop was planted in November and harvested in January/February, 75 days post-planting. Phosphorus (P 2 O 5 ) and potassium (K 2 O) doses were kept consistent across all treatments. Cumulative growing degree days (GDD) were calculated by summing daily mean temperatures above the base temperature, expressed in degree days. Among the different nitrogen treatments, 225 kg N ha − 1 yielded the highest mean tuber yield of 21.21 t ha − 1 , along with net returns of Rs. 88,350 ha − 1 and a benefit-cost (B:C) ratio of 1.71. The 225 kg N ha − 1 dose produced significantly higher tuber yields compared to the 150 kg N ha − 1 dose recommended for Odisha. Although applying 300 kg N ha − 1 resulted in higher yields than 225 kg N ha − 1 during the initial two years, this trend did not continue. The mean yield with 300 kg N ha − 1 was significantly lower than with 225 kg N ha − 1 . There was a gradual increase in tuber yield from 0 kg N ha − 1 to 75 kg, 150 kg, and 225 kg ha − 1 . The results clearly indicate the necessity of increasing the recommended nitrogen dose from 150 kg ha − 1 to 225 kg ha − 1 for Odisha, particularly in sandy-loam soils. It was observed that the combination of lower GDD and lower bright sunshine hours (BSH) of 397 hours led to the lowest helio-thermal units (HTU) of 3888.9, resulting in the highest tuber yield with maximum heat use efficiency (HUE) of 371.3g°C days − 1 hrs − 1 and helio-thermal use efficiency (HTUE) of 6.0. Potato Kufri Surya N-dose GDD tuber yield economics Figures Figure 1 Figure 2 Introduction Potato ( Solanumtuberosum L.) is one of the four major food crops in the world (Struik and Wiersema, 1999 ) and is regarded as the “food for future” due to its high productivity as well as nutritive value. However, potato productivity is not uniform across the globe. Besides unfavorable climate and soil, the main reasons for low yield of potato include unavailability of good quality seed tubers as well as their high cost, shortage of well adapted cultivars, improper agronomic practices, incidence of diseases and insect pests, and inadequate storage, transportation and marketing facilities (Tekalign, 2005 ). Potato crop responds well to organic manures and inorganic fertilizers. Depending upon type of soil, irrigation and nutrient availability, socio-economic conditions of farmers and variety, the fertilizer requirement differs from location to location. Among all the plant nutrients, nitrogen has the maximum influence on growth and productivity of potato (Yadav et al. , 2024). Leaf area increases with nitrogen fertilization which, in turn, results more photosynthesis, plant height and dry matter production but delays days to flowering and physiological maturity (Krishnippa, 1989 ; Mulubrhan, 2004 ; Yibekal, 1998 ). Nitrogen also plays a significant role in the production of stem and axillary branches (Moorby and Morris, 1967 ) and canopy dry matter yield (Millard and Marshall, 1986 ). Low soil N has been found to limit potato production in many parts of world, especially where there is adequate water supply (Harris, 1992 ). Potato is a crucial vegetable for the inhabitants of Odisha, located in the subtropical belt of eastern India, between 17°52’ to 22°45’ N latitude and 81°45’ to 87°50’ E longitude. Odisha is the tenth largest state in India by area, comprising 5% of the country's geographical area and 4% of its population. The annual potato requirement of Odisha is approximately 1.2 million tons. However, local farmers are able to produce only 20–25% of this requirement. The potato productivity in Odisha is about 16 t/ha, which is lower than the national average of 23 t/ha. One significant factor contributing to the low potato productivity in Odisha is the application of sub-optimal nitrogen doses, despite nitrogen being a critical nutrient for this crop. In Odisha, potatoes are typically cultivated in the rabi season following the harvest of kharif rice. The optimal planting time is during the first fortnight of November, though this can vary based on the rice harvest and the availability of potato planting material. The recommended fertilizer dose for the state is 150 kg N, 80 kg P 2 O 5 , and 100 kg K 2 O. Despite long-standing potato cultivation practices, many farmers in Odisha are unaware of the adequate nitrogen fertilizer doses and the optimal timing for application to achieve higher productivity. Some farmers apply sub-optimal doses, while others apply excessive amounts. Compared to other crops, potatoes are highly susceptible to elevated temperatures, which can cause heat stress leading to various morpho-anatomical, physiological, and biochemical changes, adversely affecting plant growth and development and potentially resulting in a significant reduction in economic yield. Even slightly elevated temperatures (30/20°C day/night) during tuberization can notably reduce potato yield. The phenological development of the crop and the efficient conversion of biomass into economic yield determine dry matter accumulation and its distribution among different organs. According to Anand Kumar et al . (2017), the growth stage duration of any particular species is directly related to temperature and can be predicted using the sum of daily air temperatures. Temperature is a crucial environmental factor influencing the growth, development, phenology, and yield of crops (Bishnoi et al., 1995 ). In India, potatoes are generally grown when the maximum day temperature remains below 35°C and the night temperature does not exceed 20°C. The optimum temperature for potato growth is 15 to 20°C. Under high temperature conditions, tuberization is significantly inhibited, and photoassimilate partitioning to tubers is greatly reduced (Ewing, 1981 ). Among the recently released potato varieties, Kufri Surya has gained popularity in the state and occupies a substantial area due to its high-temperature tolerance, particularly during tuberization. Considering the low potato productivity in the region and the critical role of nitrogen in this crop, an experiment was designed to study the response of the potato cultivar Kufri Surya to graded doses of nitrogen fertilizer (0, 75, 150, 225, and 300 kg N ha − 1 ). Enhancing nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) represents a multifaceted challenge, shaped by intricate interactions among genetic makeup and environmental conditions. Its enhancement hinges upon a profound comprehension of pivotal processes within plant nitrogen metabolism, notably encompassing uptake, assimilation, and remobilization. This understanding serves as the bedrock for devising strategies aimed at bolstering crop productivity while minimizing environmental impacts (Lebedev et al., 2021 ). Materials and methods Experimental site The experiment was conducted at the Research Farm of the All India Coordinated Research Project on Potato, Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT), Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India, located at 20°15’ N latitude and 85°52’ E longitude, with an altitude of 25.5 meters above mean sea level (MSL). The study spanned the rabi seasons over five years, from 2013-14 to 2017-18. The soil at the experimental site was red and lateritic with a sandy-loam texture, characterized by a pH of 5.2, an electrical conductivity (EC) of 0.297 dSm − 1 , and nutrient levels of available nitrogen at 212.5 kg ha − 1 , P 2 O 5 at 43.562 kg ha − 1 , and K 2 O at 205.63 kg ha − 1 (Table 1 ). Table 1 Weather condition during cropping period in different experimental years Month 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18 Mean S.D. C.V. (%) Mean Maximum Temperature ( \(\:⁰\) C) November 29.91 30.91 31.24 30.89 28.62 30.31 1.07 3.53 December 28.26 27.73 29.18 30.07 28.2 28.69 0.93 3.26 January 28.81 27.83 29.97 29.75 28.2 28.91 0.94 3.24 February 31.96 32.47 34.66 33.81 33.61 33.30 1.08 3.25 Mean Minimum Temperature ( \(\:⁰\) C) November 17.99 18 20.45 17.41 18.23 18.42 1.18 6.39 December 14.38 13.92 17.5 15.08 14.3 15.04 1.44 9.57 January 15.14 14.17 15.75 14.55 11.9 14.30 1.47 10.28 February 17.03 17.02 21.3 19.09 15.93 18.07 2.14 11.81 Mean Maximum Relative humidity (%) November 85.07 89.67 90.87 91.57 85.87 88.61 2.96 3.34 December 87.39 87.45 86.32 85.39 91.8 87.67 2.46 2.81 January 91.84 91.48 91.52 89.61 92.4 91.37 1.05 1.15 February 92.04 93.64 89 93.68 91.43 91.96 1.93 2.09 Mean Minimum Relative humidity (%) November 51.43 44.4 54.87 45.73 52.97 49.88 4.59 9.19 December 38.06 45.29 51.9 38.19 47.8 44.25 6.07 13.71 January 44.74 43.58 38.81 38.23 34.2 39.91 4.28 10.74 February 45.71 38.64 41.72 38 29.25 38.66 6.08 15.74 Rainfall (mm) November 0 0 8.3 20.3 55.2 16.76 23.04 137.48 December 0 0 14.8 0 36.3 10.22 15.93 155.83 January 0 21.5 0.6 0 0 4.42 9.55 216.10 February 0 18.4 3 0 0 4.28 8.00 186.90 Bright Sunshine Hours November 3.48 7.15 6.71 7.11 6.85 6.26 1.56 25.00 December 3.79 5.86 4.26 7.18 6.9 5.60 1.53 27.28 January 4.4 6.73 5.91 6.46 7.6 6.22 1.19 19.07 February 7.77 8.29 6.17 7.86 8.35 7.69 0.89 11.53 Weather during crop season The monthly weather condition at the experimental site during crop growing seasons (November- February) of five years is given in Table 2 . The weather parameters under study were mean maximum and minimum temperature, mean maximum and minimum relative humidity, rainfall and bright sunshine hours. The mean maximum temperature in different months of crop growing seasons did not vary much over the years as inferred from the values of coefficient of variation ranging from 3.24 to 3.55. However, mean minimum temperature exhibited comparatively higher coefficient of variation (c.v.) which increased from November to February and remained above 10.0 in January and February. The mean maximum relative humidity did not vary significantly over years with lowest c.v. of 1.15 in January. Like mean minimum temperature, mean minimum relative humidity also showed higher c.v. The mean rainfall during crop growing months varied from 4.28 mm in February to 16.76 mm in November. Heavy rainfall of 55.2 mm and 36.3 mm occurred in the months of November and December, respectively during 2017-18. Maximum bright sunshine hours per day occurred in February (7.69 hours) and lowest in December (5.60 hours). Least variation in bright sunshine hours among 4 months of crop growth was observed in February. Table 2 Initial and final soil nutrient status (kg ha − 1 ) of the experimental site under different N treatments Nitrogen Treatments Initial nutrient status (kg ha − 1 ) Nutrients applied (kg ha − 1 ) Available nutrient status of soil after harvesting N P 2 O 5 K 2 O N P 2 O 5 K 2 O N P 2 O 5 K 2 O 0 kg/ha 209 43.6 207 0 80 100 187 54.2 254 75 kg/ha 209 43.6 207 75 80 100 192 49.8 192 150 kg/ha 209 43.6 207 150 80 100 199 51.3 184 225 kg/ha 209 43.6 207 225 80 100 204 45.3 156 300 kg/ha 209 43.6 207 300 80 100 211 49.2 164 Planting and Crop management The field was ploughed 2–3 times and leveled to rule out any possibility of water logging in patches after irrigation. Well rotten FYM @ 10t.ha − 1 along with 80kg P 2 O 5 and 100kg K 2 O were applied uniformly over the field. N was applied to plots as per treatment. Sprouted disease-free seed tubers were planted at a spacing of 60cm* 20cm during November. The experiment was laid out in randomized block design with four replications. First irrigation was applied on the next day of planting. Subsequent irrigations were applied at 7–10 days’ interval based on soil moisture status and stage of crop. Appropriate plant protection measures against insect pests and diseases were taken up as and when required. The crop was harvested carefully at 75 days after planting. Observations were recorded on meteorological parameters, initial soil nutrient status before initiation of experiment and final nutrient status after harvest of last years’ crop. Plant height and shoots per plant were recorded at 50 days where as tuber yield under different grades (0-25g, 25-50g,50-75g and > 75g) and dry matter content after harvest. The counting up for growing degree days (GDD), helio-thermal units (HTU), helio-thermal use efficiency (HTUE), and heat use efficiency (HUE) were performed using established methods. The bright sunshine hours (BSH), GDD, and HTU recorded during the cropping periods over different years are illustrated in Fig. 1 , while the HTUE and HUE are depicted in Fig. 2 . Cumulative growing degree days(GDD) was estimated by totaling the daily average temperature above base temperature, and articulated in degree day. For potatoes, T base is well-thought-out as 10 0 C and GDD is determined following Nuttonson, 1995 . GDD ( 0 C) = {(T max + T min )/2}- T base Where T max = Daily maximum temperature T min = Daily minimum temperature T base = Minimum threshold or base temperature The growing degree days (GDD), helio-thermal units (HTU), helio-thermal use efficiency (HTUE), and heat use efficiency (HUE) were calculated using standard methodologies. The bright sunshine hours (BSH), GDD, and HTU for the cropping periods across different years are presented in Fig. 1 , and the HTUE and HUE are shown in Fig. 2 . HUE = Total dry matter (g m − 2 ) /∑ GDD Helio thermal units (HTU) was calculated from the product of the growing degree day and the corresponding actual bright sunshine hours, expressed in g 0 C days − 1 hrs − 1 (Chakravarthy and Sastry, 1985). Helio thermal units (HTU) = GDD × actual bright sunshine hours Helio thermal use efficiency was calculated by dividing the total dry matter recorded at respective days by the accumulated helio thermal units and expressed as g 0 C days − 1 . Helio thermal use efficiency (HTUE) = Total dry matter (g hill − 1 )/ ∑ HTU, where, ∑ HTU = Cumulative helio thermal units. The yield data was analyzed following standard statistical procedure using OPSTAT software involving five Nitrogen treatments, four replications and five years (Sheoran et al .,1998). The critical difference was used to compare the mean performance of different treatments. Economics was calculated from the mean tuber yield data over years. Results and discussions The mean minimum temperature and relative humidity during potato growing seasons exhibited more variation over the five years as compared to mean maximum temperature and relative humidity at the experimental site. Changes in available NPK status of soil under different nitrogen treatments were also observed. The initial available nutrient content at the experimental site was found to be 209 kg N, 43.6 kg P 2 O 5 and 207 kg K 2 O ha − 1 . Every year, variable doses of N (0, 75,150, 225 or 300 kg ha − 1 ) were applied as per treatment along with uniform dose of 80 kg P 2 O 5 and 100 kg K 2 O ha − 1 . At the end of experiment, the available N content in different treatments was found to be in direct proportion to the N dose, that is, the treatment applied with highest amount of N fertilizer also exhibited maximum available soil N. The P 2 O 5 and K 2 O contents were found to be the highest in control without N application. Based on the mean data over years, highest tuber yield of 21.21 t ha − 1 was observed in the treatment with 225 kg N ha − 1 (Table 3 ). This treatment exhibited 6.16% higher yield over the recommended dose of 150 kg N ha − 1 . Application of 300 kg N ha − 1 showed reduced yield as compared to the recommended dose (150 kg N ha − 1 ) which might be due to lodging and more tender plants prone to disease incidence. The excessive N application stimulates more growth of shoot than tuber resulting deterioration of canopy structure (Sommerfeld and Knutson, 1965 ). However, some other workers observed substantially delayed leaf senescence along with increased leaf area duration and tuber yield because of excessive N (MacKerron and Heilbronn, 1985) which is thought to be due to maintenance of photosynthetically active leaves for longer duration as well as formation of new young leaves than with lower or no N supply (Millard and Marshall, 1986 ). In our study, significant variation among treatments was observed for N dose, year and year × nitrogen dose interaction. There was gradual increase in tuber yield from 0 kg N /ha to 225 kg N ha − 1 . Table 3 Tuber yield of Kufri Surya under varying nitrogen levels over years Nitrogen levels (kg ha − 1 ) Total tuber yield (t ha − 1 ) 2013-14 (Y1) 2014-15 (Y2) 2015-16 (Y3) 2016-17 (Y4) 2017-18 (Y5) Mean 0 18.66 13.66 9.17 11.40 10.68 12.71 75 21.53 15.83 11.59 13.81 12.86 15.12 150 24.54 16.24 18.78 21.00 19.36 19.98 225 25.37 16.90 20.29 22.51 20.99 21.21 300 25.89 18.90 12.51 15.28 14.91 17.50 Mean 23.20 16.31 14.47 16.80 15.76 SE(d) 0.79 0.42 0.92 0.84 0.62 C.D.(0.05) 1.73 0.93 2.03 1.84 1.38 C.V. (%) 4.84 3.68 8.99 7.04 5.60 Pooled analysis: Factors SE ( + m) C.D. (0.05) Year (Y) 0.254 0.718 Nitrogen dose (N) 0.254 0.718 Y × N 0.568 1.605 Several workers have reported increase in total tuber yield and size of potato tubers with higher dose of nitrogen (Sanderson and White, 1987 ; Zabihi-e-Mahmoodabadet al., 2011 ). There is a decrease in harvest index in response to increasing N fertilization which of course is statistically non-significant. This may be because of the fact that increasing N fertilization enhanced partitioning of assimilates to the shoots rather than to the tubers (Biemond and Vos, 1992 ). Heavier application of Nitrogen over the recommended dose significantly reduces tuber specific gravity and dry matter content which might be due to the influence of N on gibberellin biosynthesis having direct influence on plant growth and dry matter accumulation (Cole, 1975 ; Kleinkopf et al .1981; Zelalem et al., 2009 ) although findings of other workers contradict it (Roberts and Cheng, 1988 ). Millard and Marshall ( 1986 ) reported that tuber yield improvement due to N fertilization could be attributed to increased radiation interception during the first part of the season and lower rates of decline in photosynthetic efficiency of the canopy during the later part. High dose of nitrogen increases days to flowering and physiological maturity, plant height, and dry matter production of different plant parts (Zelalem et al, 2009 ; Israel et al, 2012 and Alam et al, 2007 ). Effect of N dose on plant height, shoots per plant, grade wise tuber yield and dry matter content was also noticed. Significant variation among the N treatments was observed with respect to plant height and shoots per plant (Table 4 ). Application of 225 kg N resulted in maximum plant height and shoots per plant which of course was at par with 300 kg N. There was no significant variation in tuber yield among N treatments between 0-25g category to 25 -50g category but in rest other N treatments maximum tuber yields was realized in > 75 g category. Of course, tuber number is not an important attribute limiting yield (Sharma and Arora, 1987 ; De la Morena et al., 1994 ; Lynch and Rowberry, 1997 ) because of the inverse relationship between tuber number and average tuber weight (De La Morena et al., 1994 ). The number of tubers increases due tonitrogen fertilization through an increase in stolon number due to more Gibberellins biosynthesis (Kumar and Wareing, 1972 ; Kanzikwera et al., 2001 ) although there are also reports on absence of strong relationship between N dose and tuber number in potato (Sharma and Arora, 1987 ; De la Morena et al., 1994 ). Several workers have highlighted significant increment in tuber number in response to N application (Ifenkwe et al., 1974 ; Zabihi-e-Mahmoodabad, 2011; Israel et al., 2012 ). The tuber dry matter content did not vary significantly among the N treatments. Table 4: Effect of Nitrogen dose on plant height, shoots / plant, grade-wise tuber yield and dry matter content Nitrogen levels (kg ha -1 ) Plant height (cm) Shoots/ plant Grade-wise yield of tubers (%) % Tuber Dry Matter Content 0-25g 25-50g 50-75g >75g 0 43.88 3.10 12.08 30.06 29.87 28.00 18.27 75 46.68 3.30 11.12 26.67 29.70 32.50 18.74 150 48.48 3.33 7.23 23.30 31.46 38.02 18.78 225 52.00 3.70 6.62 23.20 25.15 45.07 18.46 300 49.80 3.60 8.85 27.57 28.71 34.94 18.52 SE(d) 1.55 0.17 0.47 3.31 1.09 1.41 0.18 C.D. (0.05) 3.41 0.36 NS 7.28 2.30 3.12 NS C.V. (%) 4.55 6.84 7.10 17.84 5.15 5.65 1.38 Continuous supply of nitrogen promotes shoot and root growth but reduces tuberization in potato (Gunasena and Harris, 1969 ; Wilcox and Hoff, 1970 ; Ivins and Bremner, 1969 ). The number of bigger size tubers also increase because of nitrogen application resulting in higher yields (Patricia and Bansal, 1999 ). Presence of photosynthetically active leaves for longer duration and formation of new leaves confer positive influence on total and marketable tuber yield (Krishnippa, 1989 ). Adequate nitrogen helps in obtaining a LAI of 4 to 6, which is required for high tuber yields (Marschner, 1995 ). High harvest index does not exhibit positive correlation with high yield always (Gawronska et al., 1984 ) which implies that a cultivar with poor harvest index may not necessarily be a low yielder. In this study, potato yield decreased with increasing GDD and was the highest (23.2 t ha − 1 ) in the year 2013-14 with lowest GDD (912 0 C) irrespective of fertilizer dose given to the crop (Table 5 ). Growth and duration of crop in relation to temperature can be estimated by using accumulated heat units in terms of growing degree-days (GDD) (Kingra and Kaur, 2012 ; Meena et al ., 2013). Lower GDD and lower BSH (397 hrs) combination leading to lowest HTU (3888.9) increased the tuber yield during 2013-14 with the highest HUE (371.3g 0 C days − 1 hrs − 1 ) and HTUE (6.0) which is in conformity with (Ruttanaprasert et al., 2013 ). Table 5: BSH, GDD, HTU during cropping periods in different years and respective HTUE and HUE of potato cv. Kufri Surya. Parameter Year of study 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18 BSH(hrs) 397.0 550.7 414.8 537.0 688.4 GDD( 0 C) 912.0 934.4 1044.5 985.0 1216.1 HTU 3888.9 6228.0 5656.3 6898.4 8329.9 HTUE 6.0 2.6 2.6 2.4 1.9 HUE (g 0 C days -1 hrs -1 ) 371.3 257.0 204.8 251.0 191.1 Economics of nitrogen dosage was calculated based on the tuber yield varying from 12.71 t ha − 1 in Control to 21.21 t ha − 1 in the treatment with 225 kg N ha − 1 (Table 6 ). In a recent study, 225kg N ha − 1 has been found to be the best dose for tuber productivity (Yadav et al. , 2024). However,they revealed that potato yield parameters are negatively affected by the nitrogen dose above 225 kg ha − 1 . The seed tuber requirement was 20 q ha − 1 in different treatments costing Rs. 2500 per quintal or Rs.50000 ha − 1 . Considering the selling price of potato at Rs.8000 per ton, the highest gross return was found to be Rs.1,69,696 with 225 kg N ha − 1 treatment which exhibited net return of Rs.52946 ha − 1 and B:C ratio of 1.45. Next best treatment was found to be 150 kg N ha − 1 exhibiting net return of Rs. 44,472 and B: C ratio of 1.39. Net return was negative in Control (no N) which clearly shows that potato should not be cultivated without application of N fertilizer. Table 6: Economics of nitrogen application based on mean yield data Nitrogen levels (kg ha -1 ) Tuber yield (t ha -1 ) Cost of cultivation (Rs/ha) Sale price (Rs t -1 ) Gross return (Rs ha -1 ) Net returns* (Rs ha -1 ) B:C ratio Seed tuber 20 q ha -1 @ Rs.2500 q -1 Fertilizer N:P 2 O 5 :K 2 O @150:80:100 (kg ha -1 ) Cultivation (Tillage + Labour) Total 0 12.71 50000 8700 53000 111700 8000 101712 -9988 0.91 75 15.12 50000 10050 53500 113550 8000 120992 7442 1.07 150 19.98 50000 11400 54000 115400 8000 159872 44472 1.39 225 21.21 50000 12750 54000 116750 8000 169696 52946 1.45 300 17.50 50000 14100 53500 117600 8000 139984 22384 1.19 Conclusion The response of a crop to the weather condition, particularly temperature, and added fertilizers may not be the same in all agro-ecological conditions. The application of fertilizers based on soil fertility status and crop variety could increase crop yield significantly in a given location. At Bhubaneswar, varying levels of nitrogen exhibited significant variation in plant growth parameters and tuber yield. Application of 225 kg N ha -1 resulting highest tuber yield of 21.21 t ha -1 , net return of Rs.52946 ha -1 and B:C ratio of 1.45 may be recommended for the state of Odisha in order to increase potato productivity which is the major objective of Potato Mission implemented since 2015. Irrespective of fertilizer dose given to potato, the yield decreased with increasing GDD, BSH and HTU. Further, combining genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics approaches may help to gain a comprehensive understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying stress tolerance in potatoes. This integrated approach can aid in identifying key genes related to nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) and regulatory networks involved in climate resilience. Declarations Funding and/or Conflicts of interests/Competing interests: The authors are highly grateful to All India Coordinated Research Project on Potato, ICAR-CPRI, Shimla and Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology for providing necessary funding and infrastructure for carrying out the experiment. There is no conflict of interest among the authors in this investigation. References Alam MN, Jahan MS, Ali MK, Ashraf MA, Islam MK (2007) Effect of vermicompost and chemical fertilizers on growth, yield and yield components of potato in barind Soils of Bangladesh. J Appl Sci Res 3(12):1879–1888 Kumar Anand, Tripathi MK, Pal V (2017) Effect of sowing time on growth, phenology and yield attribute of summer groundnut ( Arachis hypogaea L.) in Allahabad. Int J Curr Microbiol App Sci 6(4):2357–2365 Bishnoi OP, Singh S, Niwas R (1995) Effect of temperature on phenological development of wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) crop in different row orientations. 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A paper presented at the Global Conference on Potato, 6–11 December 1999, New Delhi, India Roberts S, Cheng HH (1988) Estimation of critical nutrient range of petiole nitrate for sprinkler irrigated potatoes. Am Potato J 65:119–124 Ruttanaprasert R, Jogloy S, Vorasoot N, Kesmala T, Kanwar RS, Holbrook, Patanothai CC, A (2013) Photoperiod and growing degree-days effect on dry matter partitioning in Jerusalem artichoke. Intern J Plant Prod 7(3):393–415 Sanderson JB, White RP (1987) Comparison of urea and Ammonium nitrate as nitrogen sources for potatoes. Am Potato J 64(4):165–176 Sharma VC, Arora BR (1987) Effects of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium application on the yield of potato tubers ( Solanumtuberosum L). J Agri Sci 108:321–329 Sheoran OP, Tonk DS, Kaushik LS, Hasija RC, Pannu RS Statistical Software Package for Agricultural Research Workers. Recent Advances in information theory, StatisticsComputer, Applications DS, Hooda (1998) & R.C. Hasija Department of Mathematics Statistics, CCS HAU, Hisar (139–143) Sommerfeld TG, Knutson KW (1965) Effects of nitrogen and phosphorus on the growth and development of Russet Burbank Potatoes grown in the Southeastern Idaho. Am Potato J 42:351–360 Struik PC, Wiersema SG (1999) Seed potato technology. WageningenPers, Wageningen, the Netherlands, p 383 Tekalign T (2005) Response of potato to paclobutrazol and manipulation of reproductive growth under tropical conditions. Ph.D. Thesis. pp. 2–3 Wilcox GE, Hoff J (1970) Nitrogen fertilization of potatoes for early summer harvest. Am Potato J 47:99–102 Yadav R, Panghal VPS, and Rahul (2024) Response of Indian Potato Varieties to Nitrogen Fertilization Regarding Growth, Nutrient Uptake, and Tuber Yield. Potato Res. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11540-024-09710-7 Yibekal A (1998) Effects of Nitrogen and phosphorus on yield and yield components, and. some quality traits of potato ( Solanum tuberosum L.) at Wondo Genet area. M.Sc. Thesis, Alemaya University of Agriculture, Ethiopia, p. 82 Zabihi-e-Mahmoodabad R, Jamaati-e-Somarin S, Khayatnezhad M, Gholamin R (2011) Correlation of tuber yield with yield components of potato affected by Nitrogen application rate in different plant density. Adv Env Biol 5(1):131–135 Ardabil, Iran Zelalem A, Tekalign T, Nigussie D (2009) Response of potato ( Solanum tuberosum L.) to different rates of nitrogen and phosphorus fertilization on vertisols at DebreBerhan, in the central highlands of Ethiopia. Afr J Plant Sci 3(2):016–024 Lebedev VG, Popova AA, Shestibratov KA (2021) Genetic Engineering and Genome Editing for Improving Nitrogen Use Efficiency in Plants. Cells 10:3303. https://doi.org/10.3390/cells10123303 Cite Share Download PDF Status: Published Journal Publication published 11 Jul, 2025 Read the published version in Potato Research → Version 1 posted Reviewers agreed at journal 15 Aug, 2024 Reviewers invited by journal 15 Aug, 2024 Editor invited by journal 05 Aug, 2024 Editor assigned by journal 05 Aug, 2024 First submitted to journal 02 Aug, 2024 Editorial decision: Major revisions 06 May, 2024 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-4337633","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":340744924,"identity":"25285f00-b655-4d95-ad59-e934719f28df","order_by":0,"name":"Ashok Mishra","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Ashok","middleName":"","lastName":"Mishra","suffix":""},{"id":340744925,"identity":"0371323f-ea13-4c0d-856e-ee50d038d3e9","order_by":1,"name":"Debasish Ghosal","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Debasish","middleName":"","lastName":"Ghosal","suffix":""},{"id":340744926,"identity":"1a76ea88-93a9-479d-9239-e24f4d3e536a","order_by":2,"name":"Ananya Mishra","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Ananya","middleName":"","lastName":"Mishra","suffix":""},{"id":340744927,"identity":"c43d9562-6f5e-4331-b584-32b0ab99fdde","order_by":3,"name":"Swarnalata Das","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Swarnalata","middleName":"","lastName":"Das","suffix":""},{"id":340744928,"identity":"460cce09-86e9-44c7-ac81-56eb0fbaf6aa","order_by":4,"name":"Laxmipreeya Behera","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAA+UlEQVRIiWNgGAWjYBACCXYQaQDlJVQACWbmBvxamJG1PDgD0sJIjBYoYHzYBqbwa5FsZn4mdaPgTj4/e4/hh8R5tdH87UAtPyq24dQizcxmbJxj8MxyZs8ZY4nEbcdzZxxmbGDsOXMbpxY5ZgbDxzkGhw0MbuQYALUcy20AamFmbMOnhf3DYZAW+/tvjH8kzjmWO5+QFmlmHqgtEjxmEokNNbkbCGmRbOYpBvnFQOJMWplFwrEDuRuBWg7i84vE8fZt0jl/7hjwtx/efPNHTV3uvPOHDz74UYFbCxQcAGIOUIQehnOJ0cL+AEjUEaF4FIyCUTAKRhoAAJVyW43OD/niAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6662-8974","institution":"Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Laxmipreeya","middleName":"","lastName":"Behera","suffix":""},{"id":340744929,"identity":"138e3f7e-1519-4e60-9cfe-16d46554f1a6","order_by":5,"name":"Sanjukta Mohapatra","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Sanjukta","middleName":"","lastName":"Mohapatra","suffix":""},{"id":340744930,"identity":"733e8327-7fe2-485f-883f-b3dc0e89bc31","order_by":6,"name":"Subrat Kumar Behera","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Subrat","middleName":"Kumar","lastName":"Behera","suffix":""},{"id":340744931,"identity":"c3c6b5b4-3b64-448a-8e39-a315688310b6","order_by":7,"name":"Anjana Patnaik","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Anjana","middleName":"","lastName":"Patnaik","suffix":""},{"id":340744932,"identity":"df50d5f0-ca4b-4c1a-8706-a4c5f3e520d4","order_by":8,"name":"Arundhati Sasmal","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Arundhati","middleName":"","lastName":"Sasmal","suffix":""},{"id":340744933,"identity":"29f07a08-f385-48f6-ae04-29c1603ab43f","order_by":9,"name":"Gayatri Biswal","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Gayatri","middleName":"","lastName":"Biswal","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2024-04-28 11:15:43","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-4337633/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-4337633/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[{"content":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11540-025-09883-9","type":"published","date":"2025-07-11T15:57:34+00:00"}],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":64393345,"identity":"18236b2d-a411-4326-917c-df6198221441","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-09-12 14:01:12","extension":"png","order_by":1,"title":"Figure 1","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":7700,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBSH, GDD and HTU during cropping period in different years\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"1.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4337633/v1/4a7e76dbdc88098025d69a25.png"},{"id":64393346,"identity":"5ad135da-0701-460f-813b-7d0f87d9674c","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-09-12 14:01:12","extension":"png","order_by":2,"title":"Figure 2","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":12380,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHTUE and HUE during cropping period in different years\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"2.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4337633/v1/f2c5d8c2fca8b93e79417ddb.png"},{"id":86699389,"identity":"8462f2bb-6f3b-4b56-a3aa-b00ac0f34f63","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-07-14 16:08:43","extension":"pdf","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":1422133,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4337633/v1/4c9bf6fa-5111-4863-aba0-204efc03a1b9.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"","formattedTitle":"The influence of graded nitrogen levels and accumulated growing degree days on the tuber yield of the heat-resistant/tolerant potato variety Kufri Surya","fulltext":[{"header":"Introduction","content":"\u003cp\u003ePotato (\u003cem\u003eSolanumtuberosum\u003c/em\u003eL.) is one of the four major food crops in the world (Struik and Wiersema, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR34\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1999\u003c/span\u003e) and is regarded as the \u0026ldquo;food for future\u0026rdquo; due to its high productivity as well as nutritive value. However, potato productivity is not uniform across the globe. Besides unfavorable climate and soil, the main reasons for low yield of potato include unavailability of good quality seed tubers as well as their high cost, shortage of well adapted cultivars, improper agronomic practices, incidence of diseases and insect pests, and inadequate storage, transportation and marketing facilities (Tekalign, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR35\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2005\u003c/span\u003e). Potato crop responds well to organic manures and inorganic fertilizers. Depending upon type of soil, irrigation and nutrient availability, socio-economic conditions of farmers and variety, the fertilizer requirement differs from location to location. Among all the plant nutrients, nitrogen has the maximum influence on growth and productivity of potato (Yadav \u003cem\u003eet al.\u003c/em\u003e, 2024). Leaf area increases with nitrogen fertilization which, in turn, results more photosynthesis, plant height and dry matter production but delays days to flowering and physiological maturity (Krishnippa, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR18\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1989\u003c/span\u003e; Mulubrhan, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR25\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2004\u003c/span\u003e; Yibekal, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR38\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1998\u003c/span\u003e). Nitrogen also plays a significant role in the production of stem and axillary branches (Moorby and Morris, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR24\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1967\u003c/span\u003e) and canopy dry matter yield (Millard and Marshall, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR23\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1986\u003c/span\u003e). Low soil N has been found to limit potato production in many parts of world, especially where there is adequate water supply (Harris, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR11\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1992\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003ePotato is a crucial vegetable for the inhabitants of Odisha, located in the subtropical belt of eastern India, between 17\u0026deg;52\u0026rsquo; to 22\u0026deg;45\u0026rsquo; N latitude and 81\u0026deg;45\u0026rsquo; to 87\u0026deg;50\u0026rsquo; E longitude. Odisha is the tenth largest state in India by area, comprising 5% of the country's geographical area and 4% of its population. The annual potato requirement of Odisha is approximately 1.2\u0026nbsp;million tons. However, local farmers are able to produce only 20\u0026ndash;25% of this requirement. The potato productivity in Odisha is about 16 t/ha, which is lower than the national average of 23 t/ha. One significant factor contributing to the low potato productivity in Odisha is the application of sub-optimal nitrogen doses, despite nitrogen being a critical nutrient for this crop.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn Odisha, potatoes are typically cultivated in the rabi season following the harvest of kharif rice. The optimal planting time is during the first fortnight of November, though this can vary based on the rice harvest and the availability of potato planting material. The recommended fertilizer dose for the state is 150 kg N, 80 kg P\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eO\u003csub\u003e5\u003c/sub\u003e, and 100 kg K\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eO. Despite long-standing potato cultivation practices, many farmers in Odisha are unaware of the adequate nitrogen fertilizer doses and the optimal timing for application to achieve higher productivity. Some farmers apply sub-optimal doses, while others apply excessive amounts.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eCompared to other crops, potatoes are highly susceptible to elevated temperatures, which can cause heat stress leading to various morpho-anatomical, physiological, and biochemical changes, adversely affecting plant growth and development and potentially resulting in a significant reduction in economic yield. Even slightly elevated temperatures (30/20\u0026deg;C day/night) during tuberization can notably reduce potato yield. The phenological development of the crop and the efficient conversion of biomass into economic yield determine dry matter accumulation and its distribution among different organs. According to Anand Kumar \u003cem\u003eet al\u003c/em\u003e. (2017), the growth stage duration of any particular species is directly related to temperature and can be predicted using the sum of daily air temperatures. Temperature is a crucial environmental factor influencing the growth, development, phenology, and yield of crops (Bishnoi et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1995\u003c/span\u003e). In India, potatoes are generally grown when the maximum day temperature remains below 35\u0026deg;C and the night temperature does not exceed 20\u0026deg;C. The optimum temperature for potato growth is 15 to 20\u0026deg;C. Under high temperature conditions, tuberization is significantly inhibited, and photoassimilate partitioning to tubers is greatly reduced (Ewing, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR8\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1981\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAmong the recently released potato varieties, Kufri Surya has gained popularity in the state and occupies a substantial area due to its high-temperature tolerance, particularly during tuberization. Considering the low potato productivity in the region and the critical role of nitrogen in this crop, an experiment was designed to study the response of the potato cultivar Kufri Surya to graded doses of nitrogen fertilizer (0, 75, 150, 225, and 300 kg N ha\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e). Enhancing nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) represents a multifaceted challenge, shaped by intricate interactions among genetic makeup and environmental conditions. Its enhancement hinges upon a profound comprehension of pivotal processes within plant nitrogen metabolism, notably encompassing uptake, assimilation, and remobilization. This understanding serves as the bedrock for devising strategies aimed at bolstering crop productivity while minimizing environmental impacts (Lebedev et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR41\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Materials and methods","content":"\u003cdiv id=\"Sec3\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eExperimental site\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe experiment was conducted at the Research Farm of the All India Coordinated Research Project on Potato, Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT), Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India, located at 20\u0026deg;15\u0026rsquo; N latitude and 85\u0026deg;52\u0026rsquo; E longitude, with an altitude of 25.5 meters above mean sea level (MSL). The study spanned the rabi seasons over five years, from 2013-14 to 2017-18. The soil at the experimental site was red and lateritic with a sandy-loam texture, characterized by a pH of 5.2, an electrical conductivity (EC) of 0.297 dSm\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e, and nutrient levels of available nitrogen at 212.5 kg ha\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e, P\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eO\u003csub\u003e5\u003c/sub\u003e at 43.562 kg ha\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e, and K\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eO at 205.63 kg ha\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab1\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 1\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eWeather condition during cropping period in different experimental years\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"9\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c7\" colnum=\"7\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c8\" colnum=\"8\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c9\" colnum=\"9\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMonth\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2013-14\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2014-15\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2015-16\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2016-17\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2017-18\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMean\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eS.D.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eC.V. (%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"9\" nameend=\"c9\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMean Maximum Temperature (\u003cspan class=\"InlineEquation\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"mathinline\"\u003e\\(\\:⁰\\)\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003eC)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNovember\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e29.91\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e30.91\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e31.24\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e30.89\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e28.62\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e30.31\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.07\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.53\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDecember\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e28.26\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e27.73\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e29.18\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e30.07\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e28.2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e28.69\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.93\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.26\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eJanuary\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e28.81\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e27.83\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e29.97\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e29.75\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e28.2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e28.91\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.94\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.24\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFebruary\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e31.96\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e32.47\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e34.66\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e33.81\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e33.61\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e33.30\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.08\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.25\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"9\" nameend=\"c9\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eMean Minimum Temperature (\u003c/b\u003e\u003cspan class=\"InlineEquation\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"mathinline\"\u003e\\(\\:⁰\\)\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cb\u003eC)\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNovember\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e17.99\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e18\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e20.45\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e17.41\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e18.23\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e18.42\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.18\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6.39\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDecember\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e14.38\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e13.92\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e17.5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e15.08\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e14.3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e15.04\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.44\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e9.57\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eJanuary\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e15.14\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e14.17\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e15.75\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e14.55\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e11.9\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e14.30\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.47\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e10.28\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFebruary\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e17.03\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e17.02\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e21.3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e19.09\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e15.93\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e18.07\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.14\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e11.81\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"9\" nameend=\"c9\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eMean Maximum Relative humidity (%)\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNovember\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e85.07\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e89.67\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e90.87\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e91.57\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e85.87\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e88.61\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.96\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.34\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDecember\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e87.39\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e87.45\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e86.32\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e85.39\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e91.8\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e87.67\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.46\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.81\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eJanuary\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e91.84\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e91.48\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e91.52\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e89.61\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e92.4\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e91.37\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.05\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.15\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFebruary\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e92.04\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e93.64\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e89\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e93.68\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e91.43\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e91.96\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.93\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.09\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"9\" nameend=\"c9\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eMean Minimum Relative humidity (%)\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNovember\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e51.43\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e44.4\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e54.87\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e45.73\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e52.97\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e49.88\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4.59\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e9.19\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDecember\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e38.06\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e45.29\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e51.9\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e38.19\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e47.8\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e44.25\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6.07\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e13.71\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eJanuary\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e44.74\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e43.58\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e38.81\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e38.23\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e34.2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e39.91\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4.28\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e10.74\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFebruary\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e45.71\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e38.64\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e41.72\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e38\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e29.25\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e38.66\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6.08\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e15.74\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"9\" nameend=\"c9\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eRainfall (mm)\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNovember\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e8.3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e20.3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e55.2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e16.76\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e23.04\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e137.48\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDecember\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e14.8\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e36.3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e10.22\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e15.93\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e155.83\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eJanuary\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e21.5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.6\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4.42\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e9.55\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e216.10\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFebruary\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e18.4\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4.28\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e8.00\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e186.90\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"9\" nameend=\"c9\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eBright Sunshine Hours\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNovember\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.48\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e7.15\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6.71\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e7.11\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6.85\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6.26\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.56\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e25.00\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDecember\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.79\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5.86\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4.26\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e7.18\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6.9\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5.60\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.53\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e27.28\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eJanuary\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4.4\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6.73\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5.91\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6.46\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e7.6\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6.22\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.19\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e19.07\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFebruary\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e7.77\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e8.29\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6.17\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e7.86\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e8.35\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e7.69\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.89\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e11.53\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec4\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eWeather during crop season\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe monthly weather condition at the experimental site during crop growing seasons (November- February) of five years is given in Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e. The weather parameters under study were mean maximum and minimum temperature, mean maximum and minimum relative humidity, rainfall and bright sunshine hours. The mean maximum temperature in different months of crop growing seasons did not vary much over the years as inferred from the values of coefficient of variation ranging from 3.24 to 3.55. However, mean minimum temperature exhibited comparatively higher coefficient of variation (c.v.) which increased from November to February and remained above 10.0 in January and February. The mean maximum relative humidity did not vary significantly over years with lowest c.v. of 1.15 in January. Like mean minimum temperature, mean minimum relative humidity also showed higher c.v. The mean rainfall during crop growing months varied from 4.28 mm in February to 16.76 mm in November. Heavy rainfall of 55.2 mm and 36.3 mm occurred in the months of November and December, respectively during 2017-18. Maximum bright sunshine hours per day occurred in February (7.69 hours) and lowest in December (5.60 hours). Least variation in bright sunshine hours among 4 months of crop growth was observed in February.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab2\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 2\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eInitial and final soil nutrient status (kg ha\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e) of the experimental site under different N treatments\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"10\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c7\" colnum=\"7\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c8\" colnum=\"8\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c9\" colnum=\"9\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c10\" colnum=\"10\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNitrogen Treatments\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"3\" nameend=\"c4\" namest=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eInitial nutrient status (kg ha\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"3\" nameend=\"c7\" namest=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNutrients applied\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e(kg ha\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"3\" nameend=\"c10\" namest=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAvailable nutrient status of soil after harvesting\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eN\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eP\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eO\u003csub\u003e5\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eK\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eO\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eN\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eP\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eO\u003csub\u003e5\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eK\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eO\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eN\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eP\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eO\u003csub\u003e5\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eK\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eO\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0 kg/ha\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e209\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e43.6\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e207\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e80\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e100\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e187\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e54.2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e254\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e75 kg/ha\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e209\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e43.6\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e207\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e75\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e80\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e100\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e192\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e49.8\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e192\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e150 kg/ha\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e209\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e43.6\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e207\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e150\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e80\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e100\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e199\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e51.3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e184\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e225 kg/ha\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e209\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e43.6\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e207\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e225\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e80\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e100\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e204\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e45.3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e156\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e300 kg/ha\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e209\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e43.6\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e207\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e300\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e80\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e100\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e211\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e49.2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e164\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec5\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003ePlanting and Crop management\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe field was ploughed 2\u0026ndash;3 times and leveled to rule out any possibility of water logging in patches after irrigation. Well rotten FYM @ 10t.ha\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e along with 80kg P\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eO\u003csub\u003e5\u003c/sub\u003eand 100kg K\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eO were applied uniformly over the field. N was applied to plots as per treatment. Sprouted disease-free seed tubers were planted at a spacing of 60cm* 20cm during November. The experiment was laid out in randomized block design with four replications. First irrigation was applied on the next day of planting. Subsequent irrigations were applied at 7\u0026ndash;10 days\u0026rsquo; interval based on soil moisture status and stage of crop. Appropriate plant protection measures against insect pests and diseases were taken up as and when required. The crop was harvested carefully at 75 days after planting.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eObservations were recorded on meteorological parameters, initial soil nutrient status before initiation of experiment and final nutrient status after harvest of last years\u0026rsquo; crop. Plant height and shoots per plant were recorded at 50 days where as tuber yield under different grades (0-25g, 25-50g,50-75g and \u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;75g) and dry matter content after harvest.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe counting up for growing degree days (GDD), helio-thermal units (HTU), helio-thermal use efficiency (HTUE), and heat use efficiency (HUE) were performed using established methods. The bright sunshine hours (BSH), GDD, and HTU recorded during the cropping periods over different years are illustrated in Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e, while the HTUE and HUE are depicted in Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eCumulative growing degree days(GDD) was estimated by totaling the daily average temperature above base temperature, and articulated in degree day. For potatoes, T base is well-thought-out as 10\u003csup\u003e0\u003c/sup\u003eC and GDD is determined following Nuttonson, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR26\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1995\u003c/span\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eGDD (\u003csup\u003e0\u003c/sup\u003eC) = {(T\u003csub\u003emax\u003c/sub\u003e + T\u003csub\u003emin\u003c/sub\u003e)/2}- T\u003csub\u003ebase\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eWhere\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eT\u003csub\u003emax\u003c/sub\u003e = Daily maximum temperature\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eT\u003csub\u003emin\u003c/sub\u003e = Daily minimum temperature\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eT\u003csub\u003ebase\u003c/sub\u003e= Minimum threshold or base temperature\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe growing degree days (GDD), helio-thermal units (HTU), helio-thermal use efficiency (HTUE), and heat use efficiency (HUE) were calculated using standard methodologies. The bright sunshine hours (BSH), GDD, and HTU for the cropping periods across different years are presented in Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e, and the HTUE and HUE are shown in Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eHUE\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Total dry matter (g m\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;2\u003c/sup\u003e) /\u0026sum; GDD\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eHelio thermal units (HTU) was calculated from the product of the growing degree day and the corresponding actual bright sunshine hours, expressed in g \u003csup\u003e0\u003c/sup\u003eC days\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e hrs\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e (Chakravarthy and Sastry, 1985).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eHelio thermal units (HTU)\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;GDD \u0026times; actual bright sunshine hours\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eHelio thermal use efficiency was calculated by dividing the total dry matter recorded at respective days by the accumulated helio thermal units and expressed as g \u003csup\u003e0\u003c/sup\u003eC days\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eHelio thermal use efficiency (HTUE)\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Total dry matter (g hill\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e)/ \u0026sum; HTU, where,\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026sum; HTU\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Cumulative helio thermal units.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe yield data was analyzed following standard statistical procedure using OPSTAT software involving five Nitrogen treatments, four replications and five years (Sheoran \u003cem\u003eet al\u003c/em\u003e.,1998). The critical difference was used to compare the mean performance of different treatments. Economics was calculated from the mean tuber yield data over years.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"Results and discussions","content":"\u003cp\u003eThe mean minimum temperature and relative humidity during potato growing seasons exhibited more variation over the five years as compared to mean maximum temperature and relative humidity at the experimental site. Changes in available NPK status of soil under different nitrogen treatments were also observed. The initial available nutrient content at the experimental site was found to be 209 kg N, 43.6 kg P\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eO\u003csub\u003e5\u003c/sub\u003e and 207 kg K\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eO ha\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e. Every year, variable doses of N (0, 75,150, 225 or 300 kg ha\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e) were applied as per treatment along with uniform dose of 80 kg P\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eO\u003csub\u003e5\u003c/sub\u003e and 100 kg K\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eO ha\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e. At the end of experiment, the available N content in different treatments was found to be in direct proportion to the N dose, that is, the treatment applied with highest amount of N fertilizer also exhibited maximum available soil N. The P\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eO\u003csub\u003e5\u003c/sub\u003e and K\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eO contents were found to be the highest in control without N application.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBased on the mean data over years, highest tuber yield of 21.21 t ha\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e was observed in the treatment with 225 kg N ha\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e (Table \u003cspan class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e). This treatment exhibited 6.16% higher yield over the recommended dose of 150 kg N ha\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e. Application of 300 kg N ha\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e showed reduced yield as compared to the recommended dose (150 kg N ha\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e) which might be due to lodging and more tender plants prone to disease incidence. The excessive N application stimulates more growth of shoot than tuber resulting deterioration of canopy structure (Sommerfeld and Knutson, \u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1965\u003c/span\u003e). However, some other workers observed substantially delayed leaf senescence along with increased leaf area duration and tuber yield because of excessive N (MacKerron and Heilbronn, 1985) which is thought to be due to maintenance of photosynthetically active leaves for longer duration as well as formation of new young leaves than with lower or no N supply (Millard and Marshall, \u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1986\u003c/span\u003e). In our study, significant variation among treatments was observed for N dose, year and year \u0026times; nitrogen dose interaction. There was gradual increase in tuber yield from 0 kg N /ha to 225 kg N ha\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003ctable id=\"Tab3\" border=\"1\"\u003e\n \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\n \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 3\u003c/div\u003e\n \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eTuber yield of Kufri Surya under varying nitrogen levels over years\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/div\u003e\n \u003c/caption\u003e\n \u003ccolgroup cols=\"7\"\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\n \u003cthead\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eNitrogen levels\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e(kg ha\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"6\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eTotal tuber yield (t ha\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2013-14\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e(Y1)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2014-15\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e(Y2)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2015-16\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e(Y3)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2016-17\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e(Y4)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2017-18\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e(Y5)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eMean\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/thead\u003e\n \u003ctbody\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e18.66\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e13.66\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e9.17\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e11.40\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e10.68\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e12.71\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e75\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e21.53\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e15.83\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e11.59\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e13.81\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e12.86\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e15.12\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e150\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e24.54\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e16.24\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e18.78\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e21.00\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e19.36\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e19.98\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e225\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e25.37\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e16.90\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e20.29\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e22.51\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e20.99\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e21.21\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e300\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e25.89\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e18.90\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e12.51\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e15.28\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e14.91\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e17.50\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eMean\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e23.20\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e16.31\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e14.47\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e16.80\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e15.76\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSE(d)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.79\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.42\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.92\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.84\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.62\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eC.D.(0.05)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.73\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.93\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2.03\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.84\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.38\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eC.V. (%)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e4.84\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3.68\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e8.99\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e7.04\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e5.60\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/tbody\u003e\n \u003c/table\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePooled analysis:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ctable border=\"1\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" width=\"69%\"\u003e\n \u003ctbody\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFactors\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSE (\u003cu\u003e+\u003c/u\u003em)\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eC.D. (0.05)\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eYear (Y)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.254\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.718\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eNitrogen dose (N)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.254\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.718\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eY \u0026times; N\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.568\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.605\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/tbody\u003e\n\u003c/table\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSeveral workers have reported increase in total tuber yield and size of potato tubers with higher dose of nitrogen (Sanderson and White, \u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1987\u003c/span\u003e; Zabihi-e-Mahmoodabadet al., \u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2011\u003c/span\u003e). There is a decrease in harvest index in response to increasing N fertilization which of course is statistically non-significant. This may be because of the fact that increasing N fertilization enhanced partitioning of assimilates to the shoots rather than to the tubers (Biemond and Vos, \u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1992\u003c/span\u003e). Heavier application of Nitrogen over the recommended dose significantly reduces tuber specific gravity and dry matter content which might be due to the influence of N on gibberellin biosynthesis having direct influence on plant growth and dry matter accumulation (Cole, \u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1975\u003c/span\u003e; Kleinkopf \u003cem\u003eet al\u003c/em\u003e.1981; Zelalem et al., \u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2009\u003c/span\u003e) although findings of other workers contradict it (Roberts and Cheng, \u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1988\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMillard and Marshall (\u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1986\u003c/span\u003e) reported that tuber yield improvement due to N fertilization could be attributed to increased radiation interception during the first part of the season and lower rates of decline in photosynthetic efficiency of the canopy during the later part. High dose of nitrogen increases days to flowering and physiological maturity, plant height, and dry matter production of different plant parts (Zelalem et al, \u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2009\u003c/span\u003e; Israel et al, \u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2012\u003c/span\u003e and Alam et al, \u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2007\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEffect of N dose on plant height, shoots per plant, grade wise tuber yield and dry matter content was also noticed. Significant variation among the N treatments was observed with respect to plant height and shoots per plant (Table \u003cspan class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e). Application of 225 kg N resulted in maximum plant height and shoots per plant which of course was at par with 300 kg N. There was no significant variation in tuber yield among N treatments between 0-25g category to 25 -50g category but in rest other N treatments maximum tuber yields was realized in \u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;75 g category. Of course, tuber number is not an important attribute limiting yield (Sharma and Arora, \u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1987\u003c/span\u003e; De la Morena et al., \u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1994\u003c/span\u003e; Lynch and Rowberry, \u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1997\u003c/span\u003e) because of the inverse relationship between tuber number and average tuber weight (De La Morena et al., \u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1994\u003c/span\u003e). The number of tubers increases due tonitrogen fertilization through an increase in stolon number due to more Gibberellins biosynthesis (Kumar and Wareing, \u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1972\u003c/span\u003e; Kanzikwera et al., \u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2001\u003c/span\u003e) although there are also reports on absence of strong relationship between N dose and tuber number in potato (Sharma and Arora, \u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1987\u003c/span\u003e; De la Morena et al., \u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1994\u003c/span\u003e). Several workers have highlighted significant increment in tuber number in response to N application (Ifenkwe et al., \u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1974\u003c/span\u003e; Zabihi-e-Mahmoodabad, 2011; Israel et al.,\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2012\u003c/span\u003e). The tuber dry matter content did not vary significantly among the N treatments.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTable 4: Effect of Nitrogen dose on plant height, shoots / plant, grade-wise tuber yield and dry matter content\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ctable border=\"1\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" width=\"99%\"\u003e\n \u003ctbody\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"13.26530612244898%\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNitrogen levels\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e(kg ha\u003csup\u003e-1\u003c/sup\u003e)\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"11.224489795918368%\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePlant height (cm)\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"16.3265306122449%\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eShoots/\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eplant\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"44.89795918367347%\" colspan=\"4\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGrade-wise yield of tubers (%)\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"14.285714285714286%\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e% Tuber Dry Matter Content\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"26.19047619047619%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e0-25g\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"26.19047619047619%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e25-50g\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"26.19047619047619%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e50-75g\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"21.428571428571427%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026gt;75g\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"13.541666666666666%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"11.458333333333334%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e43.88\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"16.666666666666668%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3.10\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"11.458333333333334%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e12.08\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"11.458333333333334%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e30.06\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"11.458333333333334%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e29.87\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"9.375%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e28.00\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"14.583333333333334%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e18.27\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"13.541666666666666%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e75\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"11.458333333333334%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e46.68\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"16.666666666666668%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3.30\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"11.458333333333334%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e11.12\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"11.458333333333334%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e26.67\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"11.458333333333334%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e29.70\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"9.375%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e32.50\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"14.583333333333334%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e18.74\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"13.541666666666666%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e150\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"11.458333333333334%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e48.48\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"16.666666666666668%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3.33\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"11.458333333333334%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e7.23\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"11.458333333333334%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e23.30\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"11.458333333333334%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e31.46\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"9.375%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e38.02\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"14.583333333333334%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e18.78\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"13.541666666666666%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e225\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"11.458333333333334%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e52.00\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"16.666666666666668%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3.70\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"11.458333333333334%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e6.62\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"11.458333333333334%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e23.20\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"11.458333333333334%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e25.15\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"9.375%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e45.07\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"14.583333333333334%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e18.46\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"13.541666666666666%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e300\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"11.458333333333334%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e49.80\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"16.666666666666668%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3.60\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"11.458333333333334%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e8.85\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"11.458333333333334%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e27.57\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"11.458333333333334%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e28.71\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"9.375%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e34.94\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"14.583333333333334%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e18.52\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"13.541666666666666%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSE(d)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"11.458333333333334%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.55\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"16.666666666666668%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.17\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"11.458333333333334%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.47\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"11.458333333333334%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3.31\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"11.458333333333334%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.09\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"9.375%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.41\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"14.583333333333334%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.18\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"13.541666666666666%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eC.D. (0.05)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"11.458333333333334%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3.41\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"16.666666666666668%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.36\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"11.458333333333334%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eNS\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"11.458333333333334%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e7.28\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"11.458333333333334%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2.30\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"9.375%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3.12\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"14.583333333333334%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eNS\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"13.541666666666666%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eC.V. (%)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"11.458333333333334%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e4.55\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"16.666666666666668%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e6.84\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"11.458333333333334%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e7.10\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"11.458333333333334%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e17.84\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"11.458333333333334%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e5.15\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"9.375%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e5.65\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"14.583333333333334%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.38\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/tbody\u003e\n\u003c/table\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eContinuous supply of nitrogen promotes shoot and root growth but reduces tuberization in potato (Gunasena and Harris, \u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1969\u003c/span\u003e; Wilcox and Hoff, \u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1970\u003c/span\u003e; Ivins and Bremner, \u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1969\u003c/span\u003e). The number of bigger size tubers also increase because of nitrogen application resulting in higher yields (Patricia and Bansal, \u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1999\u003c/span\u003e). Presence of photosynthetically active leaves for longer duration and formation of new leaves confer positive influence on total and marketable tuber yield (Krishnippa, \u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1989\u003c/span\u003e). Adequate nitrogen helps in obtaining a LAI of 4 to 6, which is required for high tuber yields (Marschner, \u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1995\u003c/span\u003e). High harvest index does not exhibit positive correlation with high yield always (Gawronska et al., \u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1984\u003c/span\u003e) which implies that a cultivar with poor harvest index may not necessarily be a low yielder.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn this study, potato yield decreased with increasing GDD and was the highest (23.2 t ha\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e) in the year 2013-14 with lowest GDD (912\u003csup\u003e0\u003c/sup\u003eC) irrespective of fertilizer dose given to the crop (Table \u003cspan class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e). Growth and duration of crop in relation to temperature can be estimated by using accumulated heat units in terms of growing degree-days (GDD) (Kingra and Kaur, \u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2012\u003c/span\u003e; Meena \u003cem\u003eet al\u003c/em\u003e., 2013). Lower GDD and lower BSH (397 hrs) combination leading to lowest HTU (3888.9) increased the tuber yield during 2013-14 with the highest HUE (371.3g\u003csup\u003e0\u003c/sup\u003eC days\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e hrs\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e) and HTUE (6.0) which is in conformity with (Ruttanaprasert et al., \u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2013\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTable 5: BSH, GDD, HTU during cropping periods in different years and respective HTUE and HUE of potato cv. Kufri Surya.\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ctable border=\"1\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" width=\"633\"\u003e\n \u003ctbody\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"20.063191153238545%\" rowspan=\"2\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eParameter\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"79.93680884676145%\" colspan=\"5\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eYear of study\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"18.700787401574804%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e2013-14\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"19.881889763779526%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e2014-15\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"19.881889763779526%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e2015-16\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"19.881889763779526%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e2016-17\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"21.653543307086615%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e2017-18\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"20%\" valign=\"bottom\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eBSH(hrs)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"14.960629921259843%\" valign=\"bottom\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e397.0\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"15.905511811023622%\" valign=\"bottom\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e550.7\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"15.905511811023622%\" valign=\"bottom\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e414.8\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"15.905511811023622%\" valign=\"bottom\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e537.0\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"17.322834645669293%\" valign=\"bottom\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e688.4\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"20%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eGDD(\u003csup\u003e0\u003c/sup\u003eC)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"14.960629921259843%\" valign=\"bottom\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e912.0\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"15.905511811023622%\" valign=\"bottom\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e934.4\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"15.905511811023622%\" valign=\"bottom\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1044.5\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"15.905511811023622%\" valign=\"bottom\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e985.0\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"17.322834645669293%\" valign=\"bottom\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1216.1\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"20%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eHTU\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"14.960629921259843%\" valign=\"bottom\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3888.9\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"15.905511811023622%\" valign=\"bottom\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e6228.0\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"15.905511811023622%\" valign=\"bottom\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e5656.3\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"15.905511811023622%\" valign=\"bottom\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e6898.4\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"17.322834645669293%\" valign=\"bottom\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e8329.9\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"20%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eHTUE\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"14.960629921259843%\" valign=\"bottom\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e6.0\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"15.905511811023622%\" valign=\"bottom\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2.6\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"15.905511811023622%\" valign=\"bottom\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2.6\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"15.905511811023622%\" valign=\"bottom\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2.4\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"17.322834645669293%\" valign=\"bottom\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.9\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"20%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eHUE\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e(g\u003csup\u003e0\u003c/sup\u003eC days\u003csup\u003e-1\u003c/sup\u003e hrs\u003csup\u003e-1\u003c/sup\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"14.960629921259843%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e371.3\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"15.905511811023622%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e257.0\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"15.905511811023622%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e204.8\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"15.905511811023622%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e251.0\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"17.322834645669293%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e191.1\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/tbody\u003e\n\u003c/table\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c/strong\u003eEconomics of nitrogen dosage was calculated based on the tuber yield varying from 12.71 t ha\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e in Control to 21.21 t ha\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e in the treatment with 225 kg N ha\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e (Table \u003cspan class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e6\u003c/span\u003e). In a recent study, 225kg N ha\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e has been found to be the best dose for tuber productivity (Yadav \u003cem\u003eet al.\u003c/em\u003e, 2024). However,they revealed that potato yield parameters are negatively affected by the nitrogen dose above 225 kg ha\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e. The seed tuber requirement was 20 q ha\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e in different treatments costing Rs. 2500 per quintal or Rs.50000 ha\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e. Considering the selling price of potato at Rs.8000 per ton, the highest gross return was found to be Rs.1,69,696 with 225 kg N ha\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e treatment which exhibited net return of Rs.52946 ha\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e and B:C ratio of 1.45. Next best treatment was found to be 150 kg N ha\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e exhibiting net return of Rs. 44,472 and B: C ratio of 1.39. Net return was negative in Control (no N) which clearly shows that potato should not be cultivated without application of N fertilizer.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTable 6: Economics of nitrogen application based on mean yield data\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ctable border=\"1\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" width=\"758\"\u003e\n \u003ctbody\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"10.964332892998678%\" rowspan=\"2\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNitrogen levels\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e(kg ha\u003csup\u003e-1\u003c/sup\u003e)\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"8.45442536327609%\" rowspan=\"2\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTuber yield \u0026nbsp;(t ha\u003csup\u003e-1\u003c/sup\u003e)\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"46.89564068692206%\" colspan=\"4\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCost of cultivation (Rs/ha)\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"8.982826948480845%\" rowspan=\"2\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSale price (Rs t\u003csup\u003e-1\u003c/sup\u003e)\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"8.45442536327609%\" rowspan=\"2\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGross return\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e(Rs\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eha\u003csup\u003e-1\u003c/sup\u003e)\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"9.64332892998679%\" rowspan=\"2\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNet returns* (Rs ha\u003csup\u003e-1\u003c/sup\u003e)\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"6.605019815059445%\" rowspan=\"2\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eB:C ratio\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"27.11864406779661%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSeed tuber 20 q ha\u003csup\u003e-1\u003c/sup\u003e @ Rs.2500 q\u003csup\u003e-1\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"29.37853107344633%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFertilizer\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eN:P\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eO\u003csub\u003e5\u003c/sub\u003e:K\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eO @150:80:100 (kg ha\u003csup\u003e-1\u003c/sup\u003e)\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"25.98870056497175%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCultivation\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e(Tillage +\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLabour)\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"17.51412429378531%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTotal\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"10.97883597883598%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"8.465608465608465%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e12.71\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"12.698412698412698%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e50000\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"13.756613756613756%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e8700\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"12.16931216931217%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e53000\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"8.201058201058201%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e111700\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"8.994708994708995%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e8000\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"8.465608465608465%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e101712\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"9.656084656084657%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e-9988\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"6.613756613756614%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.91\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"10.97883597883598%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e75\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"8.465608465608465%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e15.12\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"12.698412698412698%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e50000\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"13.756613756613756%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e10050\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"12.16931216931217%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e53500\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"8.201058201058201%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e113550\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"8.994708994708995%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e8000\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"8.465608465608465%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e120992\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"9.656084656084657%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e7442\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"6.613756613756614%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.07\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"10.97883597883598%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e150\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"8.465608465608465%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e19.98\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"12.698412698412698%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e50000\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"13.756613756613756%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e11400\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"12.16931216931217%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e54000\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"8.201058201058201%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e115400\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"8.994708994708995%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e8000\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"8.465608465608465%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e159872\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"9.656084656084657%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e44472\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"6.613756613756614%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.39\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"10.97883597883598%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e225\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"8.465608465608465%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e21.21\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"12.698412698412698%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e50000\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"13.756613756613756%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e12750\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"12.16931216931217%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e54000\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"8.201058201058201%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e116750\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"8.994708994708995%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e8000\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"8.465608465608465%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e169696\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"9.656084656084657%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e52946\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"6.613756613756614%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.45\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"10.97883597883598%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e300\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"8.465608465608465%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e17.50\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"12.698412698412698%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e50000\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"13.756613756613756%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e14100\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"12.16931216931217%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e53500\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"8.201058201058201%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e117600\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"8.994708994708995%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e8000\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"8.465608465608465%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e139984\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"9.656084656084657%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e22384\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"6.613756613756614%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.19\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/tbody\u003e\n\u003c/table\u003e"},{"header":"Conclusion","content":"\u003cp\u003eThe response of a crop to the weather condition, particularly temperature, and added fertilizers may not be the same in all agro-ecological conditions. The application of fertilizers based on soil fertility status and crop variety could increase crop yield significantly in a given location. At Bhubaneswar, varying levels of nitrogen exhibited significant variation in plant growth parameters and tuber yield. Application of 225 kg N ha\u003csup\u003e-1\u003c/sup\u003e resulting highest tuber yield of 21.21 t ha\u003csup\u003e-1\u003c/sup\u003e, net return of Rs.52946 ha\u003csup\u003e-1\u003c/sup\u003e and B:C ratio of 1.45 may be recommended for the state of Odisha in order to increase potato productivity which is the major objective of Potato Mission implemented since 2015. Irrespective of fertilizer dose given to potato, the yield decreased with increasing GDD, BSH and HTU. Further, combining genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics approaches may help to gain a comprehensive understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying stress tolerance in potatoes. This integrated approach can aid in identifying key genes related to nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) and regulatory networks involved in climate resilience.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Declarations","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFunding and/or Conflicts of interests/Competing interests:\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003eThe authors are highly grateful to All India Coordinated Research Project on Potato, ICAR-CPRI, Shimla and Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology for providing necessary funding and infrastructure for carrying out the experiment. There is no conflict of interest among the authors in this investigation.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"References","content":"\u003col\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAlam MN, Jahan MS, Ali MK, Ashraf MA, Islam MK (2007) Effect of vermicompost and chemical fertilizers on growth, yield and yield components of potato in barind Soils of Bangladesh. 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Afri Crop Sci J 9:127\u0026ndash;146\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eKingra PK, Kaur P (2012) Effect of dates of sowing on thermal utilisation and heat use efficiency of groundnut cultivars in central Punjab. J Agr Phy 12(1):54\u0026ndash;62\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eKleinkopf GE, Westermann DT, Duelle RB (1981) Dry matter production and nitrogen utilization by six potato cultivars. Agron J 73:799\u0026ndash;802\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eKrishnippa KS (1989) Effect of fertilizer applications on dry matter and N, P, and K accumulation in the potato at different stages of growth. Mysore J Agri Sci 23:349\u0026ndash;354\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eKumar D, Wareing PF (1972) Factor controlling stolon development in potato plant. New Phytology 71:639\u0026ndash;648\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLynch DR, Rowberry RG (1997) Population density studies with Russet Burbank potatoes. II. The effect of fertilization and plant density on growth, development, and yield. Am J Potato Res 54:57\u0026ndash;71\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMac KDKL, Heilbronn TD (1985) A method for estimating harvest indices for use in surveys of potato crops. Potato Res 28:279\u0026ndash;282\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMarschner H (1995) Mineral Nutrition of Higher Plants, 2nd edn. Academic, London. Pp. 889\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMillard P, Marshall B (1986) Growth, nitrogen uptake and partitioning within the potato crop (\u003cem\u003eSolanumtuberosum\u003c/em\u003eL.) in relation to nitrogen application. J Agri Sci 107:421\u0026ndash;429\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMoorby J, Morris DA (1967) Inter-stem and inter-tuber competition in potatoes. Euro Potato J 10:189\u0026ndash;205\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMulubrhan H (2004) The effect of Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium fertilization on the yield,and yield components of potato (\u003cem\u003eSolanumtuberosum\u003c/em\u003eL.) grown on vertisols of Mekele area. M.Sc. Thesis. Haramaya University, Ethiopia, p. 24\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eNuttonson MY (1995) Wheat climate relationship and use phenology in ascertaining the thermal and photothermal requirement of wheat. American Institute of Crop Ecology, Washington DC, p 338\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePatricia I, Bansal SK (1999) Potassium and integrated nutrient management in potato. 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Potato Res. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.1007/s11540-024-09710-7\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.1007/s11540-024-09710-7\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eYibekal A (1998) Effects of Nitrogen and phosphorus on yield and yield components, and. some quality traits of potato (\u003cem\u003eSolanum tuberosum\u003c/em\u003e L.) at Wondo Genet area. M.Sc. Thesis, Alemaya University of Agriculture, Ethiopia, p. 82\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eZabihi-e-Mahmoodabad R, Jamaati-e-Somarin S, Khayatnezhad M, Gholamin R (2011) Correlation of tuber yield with yield components of potato affected by Nitrogen application rate in different plant density. Adv Env Biol 5(1):131\u0026ndash;135 Ardabil, Iran\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eZelalem A, Tekalign T, Nigussie D (2009) Response of potato (\u003cem\u003eSolanum tuberosum\u003c/em\u003e L.) to different rates of nitrogen and phosphorus fertilization on vertisols at DebreBerhan, in the central highlands of Ethiopia. Afr J Plant Sci 3(2):016\u0026ndash;024\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLebedev VG, Popova AA, Shestibratov KA (2021) Genetic Engineering and Genome Editing for Improving Nitrogen Use Efficiency in Plants. Cells 10:3303. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.3390/cells10123303\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.3390/cells10123303\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/ol\u003e"}],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":true,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":true,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":false,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":true,"isPdf":false,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"potato-research","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"potr","sideBox":"Learn more about [Potato Research](http://link.springer.com/journal/11540)","snPcode":"11540","submissionUrl":"https://www.editorialmanager.com/potr/default2.aspx","title":"Potato Research","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"Springer Hybrid","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false},"keywords":"Potato, Kufri Surya, N-dose, GDD, tuber yield, economics","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-4337633/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-4337633/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eThe effect of varying doses of nitrogen (0, 75, 150, 225, and 300 kg ha\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e) on the tuber yield and economic outcomes of the potato variety Kufri Surya was investigated at the All India Coordinated Research Project on Potato, Odisha University of Agriculture \u0026amp; Technology, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India, during the winter seasons over a five-year period from 2013-14 to 2017-18. The experimental site featured sandy-loam soil with a pH of 5.2 and an electrical conductivity (EC) of 0.297 dSm\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e. The experiment utilized a randomized block design with four replications. The crop was planted in November and harvested in January/February, 75 days post-planting. Phosphorus (P\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eO\u003csub\u003e5\u003c/sub\u003e) and potassium (K\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eO) doses were kept consistent across all treatments. Cumulative growing degree days (GDD) were calculated by summing daily mean temperatures above the base temperature, expressed in degree days. Among the different nitrogen treatments, 225 kg N ha\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e yielded the highest mean tuber yield of 21.21 t ha\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e, along with net returns of Rs. 88,350 ha\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e and a benefit-cost (B:C) ratio of 1.71. The 225 kg N ha\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e dose produced significantly higher tuber yields compared to the 150 kg N ha\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e dose recommended for Odisha. Although applying 300 kg N ha\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e resulted in higher yields than 225 kg N ha\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e during the initial two years, this trend did not continue. The mean yield with 300 kg N ha\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e was significantly lower than with 225 kg N ha\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e. There was a gradual increase in tuber yield from 0 kg N ha\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e to 75 kg, 150 kg, and 225 kg ha\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e. The results clearly indicate the necessity of increasing the recommended nitrogen dose from 150 kg ha\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e to 225 kg ha\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e for Odisha, particularly in sandy-loam soils. It was observed that the combination of lower GDD and lower bright sunshine hours (BSH) of 397 hours led to the lowest helio-thermal units (HTU) of 3888.9, resulting in the highest tuber yield with maximum heat use efficiency (HUE) of 371.3g\u0026deg;C days\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e hrs\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e and helio-thermal use efficiency (HTUE) of 6.0.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"The influence of graded nitrogen levels and accumulated growing degree days on the tuber yield of the heat-resistant/tolerant potato variety Kufri Surya","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2024-09-12 14:01:07","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-4337633/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"","date":"2024-08-15T14:53:01+00:00","index":0,"fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewersInvited","content":"","date":"2024-08-15T14:47:07+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvited","content":"Potato Research","date":"2024-08-05T09:54:06+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorAssigned","content":"","date":"2024-08-05T09:35:31+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"submitted","content":"Potato Research","date":"2024-08-02T21:31:11+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"decision","content":"Major revisions","date":"2024-05-06T09:48:42+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"potato-research","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"potr","sideBox":"Learn more about [Potato Research](http://link.springer.com/journal/11540)","snPcode":"11540","submissionUrl":"https://www.editorialmanager.com/potr/default2.aspx","title":"Potato Research","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"Springer Hybrid","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"5f658d18-b389-4e9b-977c-88ba633f48e8","owner":[],"postedDate":"September 12th, 2024","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"published-in-journal","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2025-07-14T16:01:57+00:00","versionOfRecord":{"articleIdentity":"rs-4337633","link":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11540-025-09883-9","journal":{"identity":"potato-research","isVorOnly":false,"title":"Potato Research"},"publishedOn":"2025-07-11 15:57:34","publishedOnDateReadable":"July 11th, 2025"},"versionCreatedAt":"2024-09-12 14:01:07","video":"","vorDoi":"10.1007/s11540-025-09883-9","vorDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11540-025-09883-9","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-4337633","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-4337633","identity":"rs-4337633","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"qtupq5eGEP_6zYnWcrvyt","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}