Hailu Gebru|Ali Mohammed|Nigussie Dechassa|Derbew Belew
Assessment of production practices of smallholder potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) farmers in Wolaita zone, southern Ethiopia
Jimma University|Jimma University|Haramaya University|Jimma University
potato plays great role achievement food security program due plasticity environmental conditions yielding capacity however productivity far less countries due constraints threatening subsistence farms ethiopia therefore potato production practices smallholder farmers assessed wolaita zone southern ethiopia identify major factors constraining production crop data collected two stages ie pilot survey time basic data collection descriptive statistics multiple linear regression index ranking used analyze data descriptive statistical revealed smallholder farmers small land 05 ha per household low access high prices seed tubers improved potato varieties 025 usd kg1 seed tubers scarcity information good fertilizer management practices producing crop blanket rate 147 135 kg ha1 urea diammonium phosphate respectively limit potato production area furthermore prevalence diseases low market prices tubers harvesting expensive planting period major constraints potato production zone addition results multiple regression analysis indicated occurrence natural hazards seeding rate expensive price improved seed tubers important factors significantly influence potato productivity wolaita area likewise disease problems low market price potato harvesting time storage problems lack seed tubers four major constraints identified index ranking results study revealed potato production constrained number factors among diseases storage problems low market prices tubers harvest insufficient quality seed tubers planting four major constraints challenging potato production study area according index ranking method