Yield and quality of sweet potato influenced by tillage and nutrient management in sandy loams of Onattukara in Kerala

An experiment was conducted to examine the effect of different tillage practices and nutrient management on yield and quality of sweet potato in the Onattukara sandy plains. The experiment was laid out in split plot design with three main plot treatments, four subplot treatments and four replications. The main plot treatments were reduced tillage (T₁), ridge tillage (T₂) and conventional tillage (T₃). The subplots treatments were 100% RDF (n₁), n₁ + magnesium sulphate @ 0.2% foliar spray @ 30 DAP (n₂), n₁ + borax @ 0.2% foliar spray @ 30 DAP (n₃) and n₂ + borax @ 0.2% foliar spray @ 30 DAP(n₄). The results revealed that, in the Onattukara sandy loam soils of Kerala, higher number of tubers per vine, marketable tubers per vine, tuber yield per hectare and vitamin C can be obtained, when sweet potato vines were planted under reduced tillage (only one shallow primary tillage) and supplied with the recommended dose of fertilizers (FYM @ 10 t/ha, N, P₂O₅ and K₂O @ 75:50:75 kg/ha) along with one foliar application of magnesium sulphate followed by borax (both @ 0.2%) at 30 days after planting.