Effect of staggered planting and dehaulming schedule on yield and processing quality of potato cultivars in punjab

A field study was conducted during 2006–07 and 2007–08 at Amritsar (coolest place in north-western Indian plains) with the objective of exploring possibilities of cultivation of potato for processing industries. Three processing cultivars consisting of one Indian i.e. Kufri Chipsona-1 and two exotic viz. Atlantic and Lady Rosetta along with one popular table variety Kufri Pukhraj were evaluated in relation to different planting times (1^st October, 15^th October and 25^th December) and haulm cuttings (70, 80 and 90 days after planting). Only October plantings produced significantly higher yield with desirable processing attributes. Kufri Pukhraj produced maximum processing grade tubers (13.9 t/ha) but with very poor processing attributes. All the three processing cultivars gave higher tuber dry matter content (>21%), low mean reducing sugars (<50mg/100g fresh weight), sucrose (231.6 to 248.5 mg/100g fresh weight) and acceptable chip colour score (2.7 to 3.3). Maximum total phenols (39.2mg/100g fresh weight) and free amino acids (44.2mg/100g fresh weight) was recorded in Lady Rosetta and Kufri Pukhraj, respectively. Based on the higher processing grade tuber yield with acceptable chip colour, Atlantic was the most suitable variety followed by Kufri Chipsona-1 in low temperature conditions of Punjab.