The study was conducted at farmers’ field of Charfashion upazila in Bhola
district under AEZ-18 during the Rabi season of 2015-2016 and 2016-2017 to
find out suitable soil salinity management practice(s) for maximizing potato
yield as well as farmers’ income. Two planting systems viz. raised bed and flat
land, and four management systems with fertilizers and mulching were
considered in a factorial experiment. The rate of increase in soil salinity in raised
beds was significantly lower than that of flat land. On an average, raised bed
planting produced 13.04% higher tuber yield than flat land planting. The
combination of raised bed + recommended fertilizer (RF) with cowdung @ 5 t
ha-1 as IPNS+ straw mulch (@ 3.5 t ha-1) produced the highest tuber yield in
both the years (average 21.66 t ha-1) and it was 75.10% higher than flat planting
system with no mulch. This treatment combination also provided the highest
average gross margin (Tk. 115945 ha-1) and BCR (2.26). Besides, combination
of raised bed + RF+25% K+ straw mulch provided average tuber yield (20.91 t
ha-1), gross margin (Tk. 110969 ha-1) and BCR (2.25), which were very close to
above treatment combination. The lowest average potato yield (12.51 t ha-1),
gross margin (Tk. 39835 ha-1) and BCR (1.50) were obtained from combination
of flat land planting + RF +no mulching. So, combination of raised bed +
mulching+ RF along with IPNS basis cowdung @ 5 tha-1 or 25% extra K can
help minimize soil salinity and produce significantly higher potato yield in the
coastal areas.