Effects of straw returning and fertilization on soil fertility and yield and quality of edible sweetpotato

Abstract

Two-year field experiments were conducted in 2017-2018 to examine the effects of wheat straw returning and fertilization on soil fertility and enzyme activities, as well as the yield and qua-lity of edible sweetpoato. There were five treatments, including conventional fertilization+zero straw (CK), conventional fertilization+50% straw returning (50%S), zero fertilization+100% straw returning (100%S-F), conventional fertilization+100% straw returning (100%S), conventional fertilization+100% straw retuning+150 kg N·hm-2 (100%S+N). The treatments of straw returning and fertilization significantly increased the contents of available phosphorus (P), hydroly-zable nitrogen (N), total N, and organic matter in soils, and increased the activities of soil catalase, alkaline phosphorylase, urease, and invertase. The storage root yield, single root fresh weight and commodity potato rate were significantly increased under the treatments of straw returning and fertilization. The storage root yield was the lowest under the treatment of 50%S. After two years of straw returning, storage root yield and commodity potato rate were the highest under the treatment of 100%S. In general, the contents of starch and protein in sweetpotato were increased after two years of straw returning and fertilization, but the contents of reducing sugar and soluble sugar were decreased under 100%S and 100%S+N treatments. Our results suggested that straw returning in full quantity was better than straw returning in half quantity. The storage root yield and commodity potato rate was the highest under the combination of full quantity straw returning and conventional fertilization, with the taste of sweetpotato being changed. Thus, the amount of nitrogen fertilizer should be appropriately reduced in actual practice.