Russet Potato Yield, Quality, and Nitrogen Uptake with Enhanced Efficiency Fertilizers

• Published in: Agronomy journal 2019-01, Vol.111 (1), p.200-209
• Main Authors: Ghosh, Upasana, Hatterman‐Valenti, Harlene, Chatterjee, Amitava
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0002-1962; 1435-0645
• DOI: 10.2134/agronj2018.02.0105

Core Ideas Irrigated russet potato yield and quality as influenced by the enhanced efficiency fertilizers. Effect of enhanced efficiency fertilizers in improving crop N uptake. Effect of enhanced efficiency fertilizers in improving fertilizer recovery and N use efficiency. Enhanced efficiency fertilizers (EEFs) are supposed to improve nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) by synchronizing N release from fertilizers and plant uptake. This experiment evaluated the performance of EEFs for tuber yield, quality, N uptake, apparent fertilizer recovery (AFR), and NUE under irrigated conditions. At Inkster, ND, during the summer of 2015 and 2016, six N treatments and three cultivars were laid out in a factorial randomized complete block design with four replications. Three russet potato cultivars (Russet Burbank, Dakota Trailblazer, and ND8068‐5Russ) were treated with six N treatments: (i) grower’s standard (urea) and two EEFs; (ii) SuperU; (iii) ESN; (iv) split application of urea, each at 280 kg N ha−1; (v) urea at 225 kg N ha−1; and (vi) check. The highest marketable tuber yield of 42.3 and 41.6 Mg ha−1 was obtained with urea 225 kg N ha−1 and ESN at 280 kg N ha−1 (38.7 Mg ha−1), respectively, in 2015 and 2016. In 2015, AFR ranged from 33.9 to 39.7%. In 2016, AFR with Russet Burbank reached 66.4%. Yield, quality, and NUE were not significantly improved with EEFs compared with urea or grower’s standard. Cultivar‐specific fertilizer recommendations should be developed.