Russet Potato Yield, Quality, and Nitrogen Uptake with Enhanced Efficiency Fertilizers

Abstract

Core Ideas Irrigated russet potato yield and quality as influenced by the enhanced efficiency fertilizers. Effect of enhanced efficiency fertilizers in improving crop N uptake. Effect of enhanced efficiency fertilizers in improving fertilizer recovery and N use efficiency. Enhanced efficiency fertilizers (EEFs) are supposed to improve nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) by synchronizing N release from fertilizers and plant uptake. This experiment evaluated the performance of EEFs for tuber yield, quality, N uptake, apparent fertilizer recovery (AFR), and NUE under irrigated conditions. At Inkster, ND, during the summer of 2015 and 2016, six N treatments and three cultivars were laid out in a factorial randomized complete block design with four replications. Three russet potato cultivars (Russet Burbank, Dakota Trailblazer, and ND8068‐5Russ) were treated with six N treatments: (i) grower’s standard (urea) and two EEFs; (ii) SuperU; (iii) ESN; (iv) split application of urea, each at 280 kg N ha−1; (v) urea at 225 kg N ha−1; and (vi) check. The highest marketable tuber yield of 42.3 and 41.6 Mg ha−1 was obtained with urea 225 kg N ha−1 and ESN at 280 kg N ha−1 (38.7 Mg ha−1), respectively, in 2015 and 2016. In 2015, AFR ranged from 33.9 to 39.7%. In 2016, AFR with Russet Burbank reached 66.4%. Yield, quality, and NUE were not significantly improved with EEFs compared with urea or grower’s standard. Cultivar‐specific fertilizer recommendations should be developed.