Potato Tuber Yields in Semi‐Arid Environments are Increased by Tillage and Mulching Practices

Abstract

Core Ideas Tillage systems and mulching practices affected potato production. Polythene film and straw mulch significantly improved soil water‐temperature status. Tillage and mulching practices increased emergence and promoted seedling growth. No‐tillage and subsoiling with straw mulch significantly increased potato tuber yield. A 2‐yr field study was conducted in semiarid region of China, from 2014 to 2015 to determine the impact of tillage (conventional tillage [CT], subsoiling [ST], and no‐tillage [NT]) and mulching practices (transparent polythene film mulch (PM), and maize [Zea mays L.] straw mulch [SM], no mulch [NM]) on soil moisture conservation in the fallow period, variations of soil moisture profile, topsoil temperature, growth in the seedling period, the potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) tuber yield. Among the tillage systems, the mean soil water storages in SM and PM plots were increased by 6.3 and 5.9%, respectively, compared to NM plot. The soil water storage was significantly 7.6% higher during potato seedling growth in the SM than the NM treatment. The polythene film mulch increased the mean topsoil temperature 2.4°C, whereas the straw mulch reduced the temperature 3.0°C during emergence. Meanwhile, PM and SM were more effective at increasing the emergence, plant height, stem diameter , and biomass accumulation at seedling stage of potato, compared with NM. Among all the tillage and mulching treatments, the highest mean potato tuber yields and marketable tuber rates were obtained under the case of subsoiling in combination with straw mulch (ST×SM) and no‐tillage in combination with straw mulch (NT×SM), which were significantly higher by 41.0, 35.3, and 13.7%, 6.5% than that of conventional tillage in combination with no mulch (CT×NM). The conservation tillage (no‐tillage and subsoiling) combined with straw mulch has a great potential to be adopted in the semiarid Loess Plateau region.