Abstract

field experiments were conducted for two consecutive years (2022, and 2023) raining seasons in Teaching and Research Farm of both the Federal University Wukari and Taraba State University Teaching and Research Farm Jalingo, to determine the growth and tuber yield of sweet potato as influence by fertilizer treatments. using three varieties. Jalingo local, Donga white local and Tropical Ipomoea Selection (TIS -91/198) (V1, V2 and V3) respectively and five fertilizer treatments (Control, Poultry Manure, N:P: K 15:15:15, Cow Dung and Urea). The treatments were factorial, arranged in 3x2x5 randomized complete block design replicated three times. Results of the experiment shows that both main effects (variety and fertilizer treatments) had significant influence on all the parameters measured vis: length of primary vine (cm), number of secondary vine, number of leaf, number of tuber per plant, length of tuber (cm), tuber size (cm), weight of tuber per plant (kg) and tuber fresh yield per hectare (ton/ha) except number of node and leaf area which was not significantly influenced by variety and fertilizer treatments. Fertilizer treatment enhanced growth and yield performance on the varieties used. Highest value in all the yield characters measured was observed in Donga local variety at fertilizer treatment of poultry manure and NPK (10t/ha and 60kg/ha respectively). Generally, all traits except number of nodes and leaf area were significantly (p<0.05) affected by the interactive effect of variety and fertilizer treatment indicating that determining fertilizer treatment for each variety by considering their vegetative growth and yield habit is very important in crop production. Further research should be repeated on variety selection and fertilizer treatments under cropping season at different locations in southern and northern guinea savanna of Taraba State.