Abstract
The aim of the research was to determine the effect of fertilising with various doses of ash from biomass combustion (D2–D6) compared to control plots and classic NPK (D1) fertiliser on the morphological and mechanical properties of potato tubers (Solanum tuberosum L.). The field experiment was carried out in the years 2019–2021 (south-eastern Poland, 49°59′ N, 21°57′ E) on two types of soil: Gleyic Chernozem (silty loam) and Haplic Luvisol (silt). The values of mechanical parameters, such as the peel and flesh punching force (FD), deformation (DR) and energy (ED) needed to destroy the test sample, were assessed. The biometric features of the tubers were also assessed. It was found that tubers obtained from the experimental fields where D3 and D4 ash fertiliser doses were applied (corresponding to doses of 188 and 282 kg∙ha−1 K) had the highest tuber yields and the highest resistance to mechanical damage under quasi-static loads. Ash from biomass combustion can be an alternative to conventional mineral fertilizers and can be used in the development of mineral fertilization plans for sustainable agriculture, which will help to solve the problem of storage of this waste.
Highlights
The potato tuber (Solanum tuberosum L.) is a leading tuberous plant with beneficial nutritional properties that is cultivated in different environments in over 100 countries around the world
Based on the statistical analysis of the data obtained in the experiment, it was shown that the soil type, different fertiliser treatments and the years of research had a significant impact on the potato tuber yield (Figure 3)
On average over the years of research, the yield of the tuber in Gleyic Chernozem soil was higher by 10.9% (3.1 t·ha−1) compared to the yield obtained for tubers in Haplic Luvisol soil
Summary
The potato tuber (Solanum tuberosum L.) is a leading tuberous plant with beneficial nutritional properties that is cultivated in different environments in over 100 countries around the world. It is a basic food product of great economic and nutritional value. Different varieties of the same species may contain different nutrients and bio compounds [7,8], which largely depend on the application of properly selected and balanced mineral fertilisers. The use of wood ash as an additive to mineral fertilisers contributes to the return of valuable nutrients to agricultural soils, especially when no artificial mineral fertilisers are used. Bottom ash is considered problem-free and is sometimes used as a fertiliser additive as it contains valuable nutrients [13]
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