Nutrient Use Efficiency in Potato

12.3

Yield increase
Trial demonstrates the benefits of using Agromaster controlled release fertilizers in potato crops.

Proefcentrum Zwaagdijk, The Netherlands
2015

Trail

12.3

Yield increase

Key Conclusions

Coated N treatment (Agromaster) produced 9.8% more potato tubers, an impressive 12.3% more yield per kg applied nutrient when compared to CAN. This equates to a 14% ROI when using Agromaster instead of the control (CAN) treatment.

 

Objective

Controlled release fertilizers in seed potatoes

Optimum efficiency of mineral fertilizers is essential for a sustainable agricultural production. With the increasing world demand for food and energy, this is set to become an ever increasing priority. There is an absolute requirement to maximize efficiency, using both agronomic and plant breeding approaches.

Nutrient use efficiency may be defined as yield per unit fertilizer input, or in terms of recovery of fertilizer applied.

Nitrogen is the nutrient applied at highest rates in agriculture. According to the FAO database, total nitrogen consumption came up to 99.6 million MT in 2013. Globally, nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) for cereal production is estimated at merely 33-40%. The unaccounted 60-67% represents ~$20 billion annual loss of N fertilizer, by soil de-nitrification, volatilization, surface runoff, and leaching (William & Johnson, 1999). These reasons made it the nutrient lost at highest rates in agriculture. The fraction that is lost from the cropping system is the source of much of the environmental pollution associated with fertilization.

Numerous studies demonstrate that Controlled Release Fertilizers (CRF) provide significant reduction in nitrogen losses and considerably increased nutrient use efficiencies, hence increased yields and quality.

Trial Details

Trial station

Proefcentrum Zwaagdijk, The Netherlands

Crop

Potato

Product

Agromaster®

Assessments

Nutrient use efficiency (NUE)

Treatments

This trial evaluated 2 fertilizer treatments. The Control received 127 kg/ha N from CAN fertilizer. The Agromaster treatment received 127 kg/ha N from Agromaster. Both the Control and Agromaster treatments received identical P & K applications.

 

TreatmentFertilizer typeN Application
ControlCAN 27%N127 kg/ha
AgromasterAgromaster (Coated N)127 kg/ha
P & K applications were identical for both treatments

 

Treatments

This trial evaluated 2 fertilizer treatments. The Control received 127 kg/ha N from CAN fertilizer. The Agromaster treatment received 127 kg/ha N from Agromaster. Both the Control and Agromaster treatments received identical P & K applications.

 

TreatmentFertilizer typeN Application
ControlCAN 27%N127 kg/ha
AgromasterAgromaster (Coated N)127 kg/ha
P & K applications were identical for both treatments

 

Results

Analysis of the results shows that:

  • The coated N (Agromaster) treatment produced 9.8% more potato tubers
  • There was a 12.3% increase in yield per applied nutrient with the Agromaster treatment when compared to CAN
  • The Agromaster treatment produced a 14% return on investment compared to the CAN treatment

 

Fertilizer typeN TreatmentTuber no.No. of tuberstuber yieldPFP
tuber yield
kg/hatuber/hatubers/kg NMT/hakg tubers/kg N
CAN 27%N127461,2003,631.552.8416
Agromaster (coated N)127506,5003,988.259.3467
Ratio Agromaster vs CAN+ 9.8%+ 12.3%

 

The effect of N treatments on yield and number of seed potatoes

The effect of N treatments on yield and number of seed potatoes

 

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