Mulching-Induced Changes in Tuber Yield and Nitrogen Use Efficiency in Potato in China: A Meta-Analysis

Linlin Wang,Peter Carberry,Jeffrey A Coulter,Junhong Xie,Xiping Deng,Zhuzhu Luo,Qiang Li,Jairo A Palta,Lingling Li

doi:10.3390/agronomy9120793

Abstract

In dry environments, potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is grown under mulching for water conservation and improving tuber yield and nitrogen use efficiency (NUE). A meta-analysis was conducted to determine how mulching improved tuber yield and NUE in potato and how yield and NUE is influenced by fertilization, tillage practices, and growing environment in China. A search of peer-reviewed publications was performed to collect data on the effects of mulching on yield and NUE in potato grown in China. The data included were from field studies with a mulching and a no mulching treatment and data on tuber yield and NUE. A total of 169 publications (17 in English and 152 in Chinese) containing 1802 observations from 105 sites were compiled into the dataset. Mulching significantly increased both tuber yield and NUE by an average of 24% compared to no mulching, respectively. Plastic film mulching was more effective in improving yield and NUE than straw mulching. The yield and NUE increase were highest under plastic film mulching on ridge-furrow plots and straw mulching on flat plots. Mulching was more effective at improving yield and NUE in the Northwest dryland region at a plant density between 55,000 and 70,000 plants ha−1 and with application of synthetic N and P2O5 at rates of 100−200 kg ha−1, K fertilization at 0−100 kg K2O ha−1, and without organic fertilization. Integrated use of organic fertilizer and mulching was found to reduce synthetic N and P fertilizer input by 50% and K fertilizer input by 100% for production without affecting yield and NUE. These results demonstrate that mulching increases yield and NUE in potato in China, but the benefits occur when the growing region, tillage, and fertilization practices are appropriately considered.

Highlights

Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is one of the most important staple foods; the annual fresh yield has reached 365 million tons, ranking it as the fourth staple food crop after maize (Zea mays L.), wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), and rice (Oryza sativa L.) [1,2]
The frequency distribution of effect size was fit to a Gaussian plastic (PFM), 464 for straw mulching (SM), and 106 for combination of plastic film
With organic fertilization, mulching increased yield and nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) of potato by 53% in the absence of synthetic K fertilizer, by 19%−20% when K fertilizer was applied at 0−200 kg

Summary

Introduction

Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is one of the most important staple foods; the annual fresh yield has reached 365 million tons, ranking it as the fourth staple food crop after maize (Zea mays L.), wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), and rice (Oryza sativa L.) [1,2]. Mulching increases crop yield through reducing soil evaporation [7], maintaining soil moisture [9,10], restricting soil erosion [1], improving topsoil temperature [11], decreasing the leaching loss of nitrogen (N) fertilizer around the root zone [12], reducing the root-zone salinity [13], and increasing nutrient availability [14].

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion