1Central Potato Research Institute, Shimla, 171 001, Himachal Pradesh, India.
2Central Potato Research Institute Campus, Modipuram, Meerut, 250110, Uttar Pradesh, India.
The response of potato plants to root zone application of CO2 at 20 and 40 ml/week was studied at Shimla during summers of 2001 and 2002. Application of CO2 in the root zone increased plant height, leaf number and leaf area per plant, the increase being higher in 40 ml treatment. At 40 DAP there was negligible tuber formation, but at 70 and 90 DAP, increase in tuber weight in 40 ml treatment was 34.7% and 13.3% than the control plants. Application of CO2 increased soil pH and organic carbon content. Likewise the cation exchange capacity of roots increased with CO2 application. Nitrogen and phosphorus content decreased in the root, stem and tubers with increase in CO2 concentration at 90 DAP. K content decreased at 90 DAP in root, stem and leaf whereas it increased in tubers at this stage. The results indicated the beneficial influence of CO2 on potato plant growth and yield.
