The Effect of Nitrogen Fertilizer and Nitrogen Splitting on Yield and Nitrate Content of Potato Tubers

پژوهشهای زراعی ایران

Article 2, Volume 20, Issue 2 - Serial Number 66, July 2022, Pages 137-146   

Document Type: Research Article

DOI: 10.22067/jcesc.2022.71392.1065

Author

A. H Jalali^*

Horticulture Crops Research Department, Isfahan Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center, AREEO, Isfahan, Iran

Abstract

Introduction
Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is an annual and autotetraploid plant of the Solanaceae family that uses its underground tuber. In 2019, among West Asian countries, Turkey and Azerbaijan had a higher level of potato cultivation than Iran.  Nitrogen consumption management in potato cultivation is one of the factors affecting the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of the tuber yield produced. Some researchers consider potato yield it consists of three components the number of stems per square meter, the number of tubers per stem, and the weight of tubers per plant. One of the problems with the overuse of nitrogen fertilizers is the accumulation of nitrate in the tubers. The amount of nitrate allowed depends on the diet of the person. Some studies show that from 93 mg per day of nitrate consumed per day for an adult, 33% to potatoes, 21% to green leafy vegetables, 15% to other vegetables, 8.5% to beverages, 4.2% to Meat products account for 2.1% to various grains, 1.6% to bread and 5.1% to other items.
Materials and Methods
The present study conducted in 2018-2019 in Kabootarabad Agricultural Research Station of Isfahan. The effect of N application and nitrogen splitting on the tuber yield and nitrate accumulation of potato tubers in this study investigated. For this purpose, the split plots tested in a randomized complete block design with three replications in which three nitrogen levels (90, 180 and 270 kg ha^-1) of the main plots and two nitrogen splitting methods (three and four stages) formed the sub-plots. At harvest time, two meters of the middle rows of each plot used to estimate the yield. Tubers with less than 35 mm in diameter considered non-marketable yield. To measure tuber nitrate, the prepared samples placed in paper bags and sent to the laboratory of Soil and Water Research Department of Isfahan Agricultural Research Center. After washing, the samples grated and after drying in an oven (temperature 65 °C) and grinding in a shaker (shaker), the amount of nitrate determined by spectrophotometry. All soil and plant tests performed in the laboratory. SAS software used to analyze the data and Duncan's multiple range test (at 5% probability level) used to compare the means.
Results and Discussion
The effect of nitrogen interaction and its splitting on total yield and efficiency of nitrogen utilization at the level of one per cent and on the characteristics of marketable yield, non-marketable yield, tuber nitrate, number and weight of tubers at the level of five per cent was significant. With the consumption of 180 and 270 kg N ha^-1 by the four-step splitting method, the non-marketable yield was equal to 11.2 and 14.43% of the total tuber yield, respectively. With the consumption of 270 kg N ha^-1 and three stages of nitrogen splitting, the amount of nitrate in the tuber reached 197 mg kg^-1 of fresh weight of the tuber. In both three- and four-stage nitrogen splitting methods, nitrogen application efficiency reduced to one third by consuming 270 kg N  ha^-1 compared to 90 kg N ha^-1 treatment. Therefore, the use of nitrogen fertilizers in excess of the recommended amounts can, in addition to economic losses, be associated with a decrease in fertilizer use efficiency and an increase in tuber nitrate beyond the allowable limit.
Conclusion
The results showed that nitrogen splitting is a correct management approach when it recommended based on the amount of nitrogen consumption (in this study 180 kg ha^-1). The use of excess nitrogen, even in splitting, not only did not increase economic yield but in some treatments (three-stage splitting of 270 kg N ha^-1) was associated with an increase in tuber nitrate beyond the allowable limit (170 mg kg^-1 tuber fresh weight). In the amount of nitrogen application more than the recommended fertilizer, in both methods of nitrogen splitting, the efficiency of fertilizer application decreased. So that in the treatment of 270 kg N ha^-1 compared to the treatment of 90 kg N ha^-1, the efficiency of fertilizer application reached one third.

Keywords

Tuber number; Nitrogen use efficiency; Marketable yield; Tuber weight

References

1. Ayyub, C. M., Wasim Haidar, M., Zulfiqar, F., Abideen, Z., and Wright, S. R. 2019. Potato tuber yield and quality in response to different nitrogen fertilizer application rates under two split doses in an irrigated sandy loam soil. Journal of Plant Nutrition 42: 1850-1860. https://doi.org/10.1080/01904167.2019.1648669.
2. Bachmann-Pfabe, S., and Dehmer, K. J. 2020. Evaluation of wild potato germplasm for tuber starch content and nitrogen utilization efficiency. Plants 9 (7): 833. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants9070833.
3. Bélanger, G., Walsh, J. R., Richards, J. E., Milburn, P. H., and Ziadi, N. 2001. Tuber growth and biomass partitioning of two potato cultivars grown under different N fertilization rates with and without irrigation. American Journal of Potato Research 78: 109-117. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02874766.
4. Bero, N. J., Ruark, M. D., and Lowery, B. 2014. Controlled-release fertilizer effect on potato and groundwater nitrogen in sandy soil. Agronomy Journal 106: 359-368. https://doi.org/10.2134/agronj2013.0331.
5. De la Morena, I., Guillen, A., and Del Moral, L. F. G .1994. Yield development in potatoes as influenced by cultivar and the timing and level of nitrogen fertilization. American Potato Journal 71: 165-173. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02849051.
6. FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization). 2019. FAOSTAT, Retrieved January 15, 2018. Available at: http://faostat.fao.org/site/291/default.aspx. Accessed 19 Agu. 2019.
7. Green, L. C. Wagner, D. A., Glogowski, J., Skipper, P. L., Wishnok, J. S., and Tannenbaum, S. R. 1982. Analysis of nitrate, nitrite, and [15N] nitrate in biological fluids. Analytical Biochemistry 126: 131-138. https://doi.org/10.1016/0003-2697(82)90118-X.
8. Jalali, A. H., and Mousapour Gorji, A. 2021. The use of "stress memory" to improve drought stress tolerance in potato. Iranian Journal of Field Crops Research 19: 61-71. (in Persian).
9. Jalali, A. H., and Bahrani, M. J. 2014. Effect of crop residue and nitrogen fertilizer on nitrogen use efficiency in corn (Zea mays) production. Applied Field Crop Research 102:197-204. (in Persian).
10. Jalali, A. H., Hassanpanah, D., and Mousapour Gorji, A. 2020. Environmental stresses and their management in potato production. Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization Seed and Plant Improvement Institute, 214pp. (in Persian).
11. Jamshidi, A. M., Ahmadi, A., and Darvishi, B. 2015. Yield and quality of potato seed and edible tubers in response to different phosphorus levels and nitrogen application times. Iranian Journal of Field Crop Science 45: 489-498. (in Persian).
12. Jin, X., Hao, N., Jiao, F., Yang, Y., Wang, D., Xu, C., and Zhai, R. 2014. The effect of nitrogen supply on potato yield, tuber size and pathogen resistance in Solanum tuberosum exposed to Phytophthora infestans. African Journal of Agricultural Research 9: 2657-2663. https://doi.org/10.5897/AJAR2013.7550.
13. Hassanpanah, D., Kazemi, N., Mousapour Gorji, A., and Jalali, A. H. 2018. Comprehensive guide to modern potato farming. Seed and Plant Breeding Research Institute, Knowledge Network Office and Promotional Media. 322 pp.
14. Kuisma, P. 2002. Efficiency of split nitrogen fertilization with adjusted irrigation on potato. Agricultural and Food Science 11: 59-74. https://doi.org/10.23986/afsci.5713.
15. Muleta, H. D., and Aga, M. C. 2019. Role of nitrogen on potato production: a review. Journal of Plant Sciences 7: 36-42.
16. National Standard of Iran. 2013. Maximum levels for nitrate in agricultural product. Standard No. 16596. First edition 11 Pp.
17. Naumann, M., Koch, M., Thiel, H., Gransee, A., and Pawelzik, E. 2020. The importance of nutrient management for potato production part II: Plant nutrition and tuber quality. Potato Research 63: 97-119. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11540-019-09431-2.
18. SAS 2016. SAS user^’s guide. SAS Inst., Cary, NC.
19. SCF (Scientific Committee on Food). 1997. Assessment of dietary intake of nitrates by the population in the European Union, as a consequence of the consumption of vegetables, in Reports on tasks for scientific cooperation: report of experts participating in Task 3.2.3, ed by European Commission, Brussels, p 34.
20. Souza, E. F., Soratto, R. P., Sandaña, P., Venterea, R. T., and Rosen, C. J. 2020. Split application of stabilized ammonium nitrate improved potato yield and nitrogen-use efficiency with reduced application rate in tropical sandy soils. Field Crops Research 254: 107847. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fcr.2020.107847.
21. Venkatasalam, E. P., Bairwa, A., KL, D., Sudha, R., Mhatre, P. H., Govindakrishnan, P. M., and Singh, R. K. 2019. Effect of nitrogen sources on yield and yield components of potato (Solanum tuberosum) cultivars. Indian Journal of Agricultural Sciences 89: 35-40.
22. Yadav, S. K., Singh, G. K., Jain, V. K., and Tiwari, A. 2017. Response of potato (Solanum tuberosum) cultivars to different levels of nitrogen. International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences 6: 2734-9.
23. Ysart, G., Miller, P., Barrett, G., Farrington, D., Lawrance, P., and Harrison, N. 1999. Dietary exposures to nitrate in the UK. Food Additives and Contaminants 16: 521-532. https://doi.org/10.1080/026520399283669.