Tuber Yield Research Articles

Rejuvenating potato growth and yield in challenging semiarid and saline sandy Cholistan: harnessing PGPB-coated N and P application strategies

BackgroundPotato serves as a major non-cereal food crop and income source for small-scale growers in Punjab, Pakistan. Unfortunately, improper fertilization practices have led to low crop yields, worsened by challenging environmental conditions and poor groundwater quality in the Cholistan region. To address this, we conducted an experiment to assess the impact of two fertilizer application approaches on potato cv. Barna using plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) coated biofertilizers. The first approach, termed conventional fertilizer application (CFA), involved four split applications of PGPB-coated fertilizers at a rate of 100:75 kg acre–1 (N and P). The second, modified fertilizer application (MFA), employed nine split applications at a rate of 80:40 kg acre–1.ResultsThe MFA approach significantly improved various plant attributes compared to the CFA. This included increased plant height (28%), stem number (45%), leaf count (46%), leaf area index (36%), leaf thickness (three-folds), chlorophyll content (53%), quantum yield of photosystem II (45%), photosynthetically active radiations (56%), electrochromic shift (5.6%), proton flux (24.6%), proton conductivity (71%), linear electron flow (72%), photosynthetic rate (35%), water use efficiency (76%), and substomatal CO2 (two-folds), and lowered non-photochemical quenching (56%), non-regulatory energy dissipation (33%), transpiration rate (59%), and stomatal conductance (70%). Additionally, the MFA approach resulted in higher tuber production per plant (21%), average tuber weight (21.9%), tuber diameter (24.5%), total tuber yield (29.1%), marketable yield (22.7%), seed-grade yield (9%), specific gravity (9.6%), and soluble solids (7.1%). It also reduced undesirable factors like goli and downgrade yields by 57.6% and 98.8%, respectively. Furthermore, plants under the MFA approach exhibited enhanced nitrogen (27.8%) and phosphorus uptake (40.6%), with improved N (26.1%) and P uptake efficiency (43.7%) compared to the CFA approach.ConclusionThe use of PGPB-coated N and P fertilizers with a higher number of splits at a lower rate significantly boosts potato production in the alkaline sandy soils of Cholistan.

Features of using Tropicana 1 on potatoes in the forest steppe of Western Siberia

The results of experimental studies on the effectiveness of using the medicine Tropikanka 1 during the growing season of potatoes of the Vega (early) variety are presented. Arid conditions were observed during the experiments, especially in May and June. Tropikanka 1 was used during the potato growing season by spraying plants at the beginning of budding and mass flowering in concentrations of 0.005, 0.01, and 0.02% with a working fluid flow rate of 300 l/ha. Spraying with water was used as a control. The research aims to develop ways to use environmentally friendly organic fertilizer to stimulate the growth and development of potatoes and increase their yield with good quality and product safety. It was shown that on gray forest heavy loamy soil of the forest-steppe of the Ob region under conditions of acute moisture deficiency in May, June, and early July 2023, the use of Tropikanka 1 during the potato growing season accelerated the rate of progression of the phenological phases of potatoes by two days compared to the control (water). The maximum leaf area was formed during the use of the drug Tropikanka 1, especially at a concentration of 0.01% - 1.4 times higher than the control. Against the background of spraying potato plants during the growing season with Tropikanka 1, the yield of tubers increased by 1.3 times. The total yield in the variants with spraying plants with Tropikanka 1 at a concentration of 0.01%for the early variety Vega was 27.1 t/ha, 21% higher than the control. An increase in marketable yield of up to 30% was noted when using liquid fertilizer based on dilution of poultry manure treated with nitric acid. An increase in the quality of potato tubers was established with an increase in dry matter content by 0.3%, starch by 0.4%, and vitamin C by 0.6% mg/kg. The concentration of nitrates was below the MPC. It was noted that using liquid fertilizer Tropikanka 1 did not reduce the safety indicators of the early potato variety Vega tubers during long-term storage.

Growth kinetics, spatialization and quality of potato tubers monitored in situ by MRI - long-term effects of water stress.

Understanding the potato tuber development and effects of drought at key stages of sensitivity on yield is crucial, particularly when considering the increasing incidence of drought due to climate change. So far, few studies addressed the time course of tuber growth in soil, mainly due to difficulties in accessing underground plant organs in a non-destructive manner. This study aims to understand the tuber growth and quality and the complex long-term effects of realistic water stress on potato tuber yield. MRI was used to monitor the growth kinetics and spatialization of individual tubers in situ and the evolution of internal defects throughout the development period. The intermittent drought applied to plants reduced tuber yield by reducing tuber growth and increasing the number of aborted tubers. The reduction in the size of tubers depended on the vertical position of the tubers in the soil, indicating water exchanges between tubers and the mother plant during leaf dehydration events. The final size of tubers was linked with the growth rate at specific developmental periods. For plants experiencing stress, this corresponded to the days following rewatering, suggesting tuber growth plasticity. All internal defects occurred in large tubers and within a short time span immediately following a period of rapid growth of perimedullary tissues, probably due to high nutrient requirements. To conclude, the non-destructive 3D imaging by MRI allowed us to quantify and better understand the kinetics and spatialization of tuber growth and the appearance of internal defects under different soil water conditions.

Rootstock scion interaction studies on various horticultural attributes of pomato grafts under protected structures

Pomato is a horticultural wonder plant, as tomato and potato can be produced from a single plant. This experiment explored the influence of diverse graft combinations of tomato scions grafted onto potato rootstocks on various growth and yield-attributing traits. The investigation outcomes confirmed the significantly positive influence of scion grafted onto rootstock on various yielding attributes of tomato and potato harvested from pomato grafts. Scion “Rakshita” grafted onto the rootstock of Kufri Himalini had the maximum fruit length. In contrast, the fruits harvested from the graft combination of Avtar grafted onto Kufri Khyati had the maximum number of fruits per cluster and the number of fruits per plant. The highest average fruit weight, fruit yield per meter square, and total fruit yield quintal per hectare were recorded with control “Avtar. The longest harvest duration was noticed with the graft combination of Heemsohna grafted onto Kufri Himalini. Moreover, on, rootstock Kufri Himalini with scion Rakshita resulted in maximum tuber length, and average tuber weight, while Kufri Himalini with Avtar had maximum fruit width. The maximum number of tubers per plant was also noticed with Kufri Pukhraj with Palam Tomato hybrid −1. The potato harvested from the rootstock of Kufri Pukhraj with Avtar had the highest tuber yield per plant, total tuber yield quintal per hectare, and tuber equivalent yield. The highest survival percentage of grafted plants was noted in Heemsohna onto Kufri Jyoti. In context to the cumulative yield of tomato fruits and potato tubers obtained from the pomato graft was found to be incremented in grafts of Avtar grafted onto Kufri Pukhraj followed by Rakshita grafted onto Kufri Rakshita, which also resulted in the maximum benefit-cost ratio with highest net return and gross return. The graft combination of scion Avtar and Rakshita onto Rootstock Kufri Pukhraj resulted in a positive increment in yield attributing traits of the pomato plant than of control of un-grafted tomato and potato.

ВЛИЯНИЕ ОТДЕЛЬНЫХ ЭЛЕМЕНТОВ ТЕХНОЛОГИИ ВОЗДЕЛЫВАНИЯ КАРТОФЕЛЯ СОРТА ГАЛА НА УРОЖАЙНОСТЬ КЛУБНЕЙ В УСЛОВИЯХ ЗАКАМЬЯ РЕСПУБЛИКИ ТАТАРСТАН

An assessment of the impact of various areas and food conditions on potato yields in the Kama region of the Republic of Tatarstan has been carried out. It was found that on leached chernozems, as the number of tubers planted on different nutrient backgrounds increased from 30 to 60 thousand pieces/ha, the yield of potato tubers of the Gala variety increased on average over 2 years from 25.2 to 29.2 t/ha in the control, against the background of the use of fertilizers from 31.0-34.8 and 32.4-38.7 tons/ha . However, the maximum yield minus the weight of the planting material of 25.2...31.1 and 35.1 t/ha had a clear, pronounced maximum at a certain optimal planting rate of 50 thousand tubers/ha. The effect of the nutrition background on the number of stems of one bush was insignificant, however, in terms of unit area, the number of stems against the background of N60P60K90 with a planting density of 50 thousand tubers exceeded the control (without fertilizers) by 3.41 thousand pieces, and against the background of N60P60K90 - by 100 thousand pieces. + When applying 60 tons of manure, this difference amounted to 4.38 thousand pieces, which ultimately affected the formation of the tuber harvest. The largest assimilation surface – 44.6...46.7 thousand m2/ha was noted in the fertilized variants of the experiment with a planting density of 60 thousand tubers per 1 ha. The excess compared to the control was 6.3...8.4 thousand m2/ha. The use of fertilizers in potato cultivation led to a slight decrease in the starch content in tubers by 1.4...2.1% with a planting density of 50 thousand tubers per 1 hectare. As the planting density increased, regardless of the nutritional background, the starch content increased by 1.1% on the control and by 0.8...0.9% on the fertilized backgrounds.

Using several types and doses of manure to increase the productivity of Konjac plants (Amorphophallus muelleri Blume)

Amorphophallus muelleri (known as "porang" in Indonesia) can be used as a high-value alternative food source and potentially be a glucomannan production source. Due to its limited production, Indonesia has yet to meet the Amorphophallus muelleri (konjac) flour demand. During growth, konjac plants require sufficient fertilization to increase production and yield large tubers. This study aims to determine the appropriate types and doses of manure fertilizers to enhance konjac plant productivity. The research employed a randomized complete block design with ten treatments using sheep, chicken, and cow manure, as well as a control, with doses of 1.5, 1, and 0.5 kg per plant, repeated four times. The results showed that using manure fertilizers significantly affected the growth of konjac plants, including plant height, stem diameter, leaf width, canopy diameter, and yield. The best dry weight results were obtained using chicken manure at 1 kg per plant (61.33 g) and 1.5 kg per plant (47.64 g). Using sheep, cow, and chicken manure increased konjac tuber yield by 94.95%, 93.55%, and 66.96%, respectively.

Pengaruh Kombinasi Populasi Tumpangsari Kedelai-Singkong pada Pertumbuhan dan Hasil Benih Tanaman Kedelai dan Hasil Umbi Singkong

Intercropping soybeans with cassava can become one solution to increase the production of soybean in Indonesia. This research aimed to determine the most optimal population combination of soybean-cassava intercropping for the growth and yield of soybean seeds, cassava tuber yield, and land use efficiency (LUE).. The research was carried out on the farm land of the Main Seed Center in Sekincau District, West Lampung Regency, Lampung Province, Indonesia at -5°02’27” South and 104°18’16” East at elevation of 1173.1 meter from sea level and at the Seed and Plant Breeding Laboratory Faculty of Agriculture University of Lampung during June 2022 - February 2023. The four treatments of population combination of soybean-cassava intercropping were applied in a completely randomized block design (CRBD) and replicated five times in five blocks. The four population combination treatments of soybean-cassava intercropping were a) 100% soybean and 0% cassava (monoculture) (p₁), b) 67% soybean and 97% cassava (p₂), c) 67% soybean and 89% cassava (p₃), and d) 50% soybeans and 97% cassava (p₄). The growth and the seed yield per soybean stem of monoculture did not differ to those of the soybean-cassava intercropping, but the soybean seed yield per plot area of the intercropping was lower than those of monoculture. Its mainly due to the soybean population of the intercropping was lower compared to monoculture. All population combinations in soybean-cassava intercropping were effective in supporting the growth and yield of soybean seeds, but the population combination of 50% soybean and 97% cassava (p₄) was also effective in supporting cassava tuber yield, and had the highest land use efficiency among other population combinations. Key words: flowering age, plant height, seed weight, tuber weight of cassava

Assessment of Semi-autotrophic Hydroponics on in vitro propagated Jamaican Sweet Yam (Dioscorea alata) - Analysis of Variance and Principal Component Analysis

Objective: Despite its benefits, plant tissue culture tends to incur a high production cost hence the need for cost-reduction strategies, especially with regards to acclimatization. One such strategy is to use semi-autotrophic hydroponics (SAH). SAH is a novel, low-cost technology that has been designed for the high-ratio and rapid propagation of clonal or vegetatively propagated crops. Sweet yam is a major export commodity of Jamaica and there is need to produce disease-free plants that require less pampering during hardening. The aim of this study is to analyze SAH in tissue culture of Jamaican sweet yams. Methods: Rooted sweet yam (Dioscorea alata) in vitro cultures were transferred to a commercial sphagnum peat moss based potting substrate, with vermiculite and fine calcitic and dolomitic limestone and the SAH system was run in a growth chamber at a tissue culture facility. Six tissue culture yam plantlets were incubated in polypropylene vessels and placed on separate shelves with north facing rows and south facing rows. Samples were treated with commercial fertilizer and controls were treated with tap water. Results: Fertilized plants showed significantly higher mean number of nodes (8.0±2.2 and 7.5±1.8) compared to non-fertilized plants (4.0±0.9 and 5.0±2.1) and significantly higher maximum leaf area index (41.42±15.49cm2 and 35.58±16.93cm2) versus non-fertilized plants (19.17±6.42cm2 and 23.58±6.55cm2). Fertilizer significantly reduced the mean number of mini tubers per plant (0.67±0.52). Non-fertilized (control) produced 2.50±1.05 and 1.83±0.41 mini tubers per plant. The mean mini tuber yields per plant were significantly reduced from 1.05±0.26g and 1.00±0.83g in non-fertilized (controls) to 0.28±0.30g and 0.34±0.40g in fertilized treatments. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) revealed three principal components accounting for 81.47% of the observed variance. PC1, 2 and 3 accounted for 39.28%, 30.49% and 11.64% of the variance respectively. PC1 described factors responsible for the vegetative growth, PC2 factors for mini tuberization and PC3 effects due to positioning of plants on shelves. Conclusion: SAH is a very flexible and adaptable technique which was found to be very useful in the acclimatization of tissue culture for Jamaican sweet yam plants. Commercial fertilizer application was found to be an efficient means of nutrient addition to promote vegetative growth. Fertilizer application significantly increased the number of nodes and maximum leaf area while it significantly reduced tuber quantity and yield. The ANOVA and PCA showed that fertilizer application was positively correlated to vegetative production factors while it was negatively correlated to mini tuber yield.

The Effects of Different GA3 and Mycorrhiza Dosages on Mini Tuber Production in Potatoes

This study was conducted in 2017 under greenhouse conditions using selected four different potato clones to determine the effects of different doses of GA3 and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus on mini tuber production. The research, carried out in a randomized complete block design with three replications, applied GA3 doses of 0, 5, 10, and 15 ppm, and mycorrhizal inoculat doses of 0, 500, 1250, and 2000 mg/100 tubers. Parameters including emergence time, plant height, main stem number, tuber number, average tuber weight, tuber size distribution (>45 mm, 28-45 mm, <28 mm), and maturity period were examined. The effect of GA3 application on all investigated parameters except the number of main stems was significant, statistically. The highest mini tuber number (9.1 tubers) and mini tuber yield (408.4 g/pot) were obtained from the application of 15 ppm GA3, while the highest average mini tuber weight (46.74 g) was obtained from the control group. In mycorrhizal applications, the highest tuber number was obtained at a dose of 500 mg/100 tubers, and the highest mini tuber weight and yield were obtained at a dose of 1250 mg/100 tubers. As a result of the study, it was determined that the application of 15 ppm GA3 is suitable due to its positive effect on mini tuber multiplication, and the mycorrhizal application at a dose of 500 mg/100 tubers is appropriate due to its positive effect on increase of tuber number.

Elucidation of novel drought-responsive genes from tuber transcriptome of cassava under water deficit stress

Cassava (Manihot esculenta Carntz) is the major starchy root crop grown in the tropical parts of the world. Two cassava clones contrasting for their drought tolerance capacity (8S501- drought tolerant and H97-drought sensitive) were selected and grown in the field for studying the agronomical and molecular changes in both the clones under drought stress conditions. A reduction in the number of tuberous roots per plant, tuberous root length, average single tuber weight and tuber yield per plant was observed under drought stress when compared with the control conditions and also significantly lower mean values were observed for the sensitive clone H97 than that of the tolerant clone 8S501 when measured at 60 days of stress. Transcriptome sequencing of the tuber tissues of the two clones was done at 60 days of imposing drought stress. Different genes belonging to various groups like aquaporins, transporter genes, growth regulator related genes, calcium binding and mineral transfer-related genes, transferase genes and transcription factors were differentially expressed in the tubers under drought stress. Comparative transcriptomics revealed that acyl-CoA oxidase, primary-amine oxidase, glutathione peroxidase, vesicle transport, late embryogenesis abundant protein related, histone demethylase, BR-signaling kinase, palmitoyltransferase, DNA mismatch repair protein, heat shock protein related, starch/sucrose metabolic pathway related and MFS transporter genes were differentially expressed in the tubers of the tolerant clone 8S501 relative to the susceptible clone H97.

Identification, management and pecuniary impact of major carbon footprint contributor in potato production system of north-west India

Assessment of carbon footprint of a crop is an important component of sustainable crop production, as it helps in framing effectual and viable crop management strategies to minimize ecosystem tampering. Thus, in present investigation carbon footprint of potato production system in different agro-climatic zones viz. undulating plain zone, central plain zone and western plain zone of North-west India were estimated, and compared with the recommended practices of these zones. The carbon footprint was higher in undulating plain zone followed by central plain zone and western plain zone with values being 343, 296 and 220 kg CO2 eq./t tuber yield (TY), sequentially, whereas same were 198 kg CO2 eq./t tuber yield (TY) in case of recommended practices. The social cost of carbon (SCC), that represents economic damage from the CO2 emissions, was also estimated. The integrated net economic balance (net return from yield – SCC) was also better in case of recommended practices. The major sources of emission from potato production system were fertilizer (NPK) application (42 %), irrigation (20 %), seed (14 %), fertilizer production (13 %) and energy use (excluding Irrigation) (5 %). Top most in the list of carbon footprint contributors was fertilizer application which was due to imbalanced application of these, and for getting the clear picture of this imbalance as well as its impact, a new and exclusive index- Relative Imbalance Fertilization Index (RIFIcf) was developed and tested. Carbon footprints were also related to tuber yield and an empirical model was developed that can be used to predict tuber yield on the basis of carbon footprint of potato production system. An increase in tuber yield with increasing carbon footprint was noticed, which became somewhat static at higher emissions. The findings of this investigation provide a clear picture of quantitative GHG emissions due to imbalanced inputs that can be plummeted to some extent if already existing recommendations are followed.

Features of the microbial biological “Flavobacterin” impact on the yield and quality of potato tubers of the Udacha variety

Relevance. Organic production is focused on maximizing the use of natural resources. Particular importance is attached to natural nitrogen fixation. Nitrogen fixation provides agricultural systems with nitrogen fixed from the atmosphere and converted into forms accessible to plants. The microbial biological “Flavobacterin”, which exhibits nitrogen-fixing activity and also suppresses a wide range of phytopathogenic fungi and bacteria, was created at the All-Russian Institute of Agricultural Microbiology.Methods. Field studies of the “Flavobacterin” effects on potatoes were carried out from 2018 to 2022 in an organic crop rotation located at the Experimental Station of the Institute for Engineering and Environmental Problems in Agricultural Production Branch of FSAC VIM.Results. The soil of the experimental plot is soddy-podzolic, light loamy gleyic on residual carbonate moraine loam, characterized by a slightly acidic reaction and a high content of organic matter. Udacha variety potatoes were cultivated. The studies were carried out with organic fertilizer — BIAGUM compost, prepared from chicken manure by industrial method. Potato tubers were treated with a “Flavobacterin” when planting, and then on the leaves. Weather conditions in summer during the years of research differed significantly from each other. In all years of the study, with the exception of the dry year 2021, the application of “Flavobacterin” significantly increased potato productivity by an average of 4.4 t/ha, without compost. In the same years, the use of compost together with “Flavobacterin” increased potato productivity by an average of 2.6 t/ha compared to options where compost was used without biological.

Enhancing sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) resilience grown in cadmium-contaminated saline soil: a synergistic approach using Moringa leaf extract and effective microorganisms application

Raising soil contamination with cadmium (Cd2+) and salinization necessitates the development of green approaches using bio-elicitors to ensure sustainable crop production and mitigate the detrimental health impacts. Two field trials were carried out to study the individual and combined effects of foliage spraying of Moringa leaf extract (MLE) and soil application of effective microorganisms (EMs) on the physio-biochemical, osmolytes, antioxidants, and performance of sweet potato grown in Cd2+-contaminated salty soil (Cd2+ = 17.42 mg kg−1 soil and soil salinity ECe = 7.42 dS m−1). Application of MLE, EMs, or MLE plus EMs significantly reduced the accumulation of Cd2+ in roots by 55.6%, 50.0%, or 68.1% and in leaves by 31.4%, 27.6%, or 38.0%, respectively, compared to the control. Co-application of MLE and EMs reduced Na+ concentration while substantially raising N, P, K+, and Ca2+ acquisition in the leaves. MLE and EMs-treated plants exhibited higher concentrations of total soluble sugar by 69.6%, free proline by 47.7%, total free amino acids by 29.0%, and protein by 125.7% compared to the control. The enzymatic (SOD, APX, GR, and CAT) and non-enzymatic (phenolic acids, GSH, and AsA) antioxidants increased in plants treated with MLE and/or EMs application. Applying MLE and/or EMs increased the leaf photosynthetic pigment contents, membrane stability, relative water content, water productivity, growth traits, and tuber yield of Cd2+ and salt-stressed sweet potato. Consequently, the integrative application of MLE and EMs achieved the best results exceeding the single treatments recommended in future application to sweet potato in saline soil contaminated with Cd2+.

Film mulching counteracts the adverse effects of mild moisture deficiency, and improves the quality and yield of Cyperus esculentus. L grass and tuber in the oasis area of Tarim Basin.

Plastic film mulching (PFM) and deficit irrigation (DI) are vital water-saving approaches in arid agriculture. Cyperus esculentus is a significant crop in dry zones. However, scant data exists on the impacts of these water-saving methods on C. esculentus yield and quality. Using randomized block experiment design. Three irrigation strategies were tested: CK (standard irrigation), RW20 (20% water reduction), and RW40 (40% water reduction). Mulchin treatments included film mulching (FM) and no film mulching (NFM). Results revealed substantial effects of film mulching and drip irrigation on soil nutrients and physical properties, with minor influence on grass, root, and tuber stoichiometry. PF treatment, DI treatments, and their interaction significantly affected C. esculentus forage and tuber yields. Initially, grass and tuber yields increased and then decreased with reduced irrigation. The highest yields were under RW20 (3716.31 and 4758.19 kg/ha). FM increased grass and tuber yield by 17.99% and 8.46%, respectively, over NFM. The water reduction augmented the biomass distribuiton of the leaf and root, while reducing the tuber biomass in NFM. FM significantely impacted grass ether extract content, while reduced water influenced grass and tuber crude protein and tuber ether extract content. Mild water stress increased ether extract, crude protein, and soluble matter in grass and tubers, while excessive RW decreased them. Integrating soil traits, nutrients, yield, and quality, findings indicate C.esculentus yield and quality primarily hinge on soil water content, pond hydrogenase, and electrical conductivity. Based on this results, the recommended strategy is to reduce irrigation by 20% for cultivating C. esculentus in this area.

Multidimensional assessment of yield and quality of starchy potato cultivars

Tubers destined for starch production in potato industry need to meet certain commercial quality standards. The objective of the work was to conduct a multivariate assessment of yield potential and tuber quality of starchy potato cultivars. An analysis was performed of data describing potato cultivars listed in the National List of Potato Varieties (KRO) in Poland published by the Plant Breeding and Acclimatization Institute – National Research Institute at Radzików. Very early and early as well as medium late and late starchy potato cultivars were analysed in terms of 13 quantitative characteristic using principal component analysis and cluster analysis. It was demonstrated that, regardless of earliness group, the following traits had the greatest share in the total variation of starchy potato cultivars: tuber yield, starch content, starch yield and bioethanol yield. Cluster analysis allowed the division of very early and early cultivars into 3 groups. The cultivars Szyper, Zuzanna, Kuba and Jubilat, included in the first group, produced superior yields, the highest bioethanol yield and were the most resistant to potato blight. Medium late and late cultivars were divided into two groups. The first group (Pokusa, Gandawa, Rudawa, Hinga, Inwestor, Pasja, Pomorska and Ikar) gave poorer yields and lower bioethanol yields but were more resistant to potato blight in comparison with the second group (Sonda, Kuras, Jasia, Bzura, Skawa and Danuta). The multidimensional methods applied allowed a simultaneous assessment of starchy potato cultivars in terms of many characteristics, and grouping into clusters sharing similar traits.

Nano-boron foliar application reduced the proportion of cracked tuber yield in potato

Micronutrient nanofertilizers have garnered considerable attention due to improved nutrient use efficiency and crop yield. The deficiency of boron induces cracking incidences in potato tubers. This study was aimed to synthesize, characterize, and evaluate the impact of foliar application of boron nanoparticles on cracking of tubers, tuber yield, and quality attributes in potato cultivars, Kufri Jyoti and Punjab potato 102. The TEM studies revealed spherical, smooth-edged nanoparticles (average diameter: 5.81 ± 1.55 nm), while the hydrodynamic diameter was 20.16 ± 6.71 nm (PDI:0.413, ζ: 18.6 mV). In a field experiment, the foliar application of nano-boron significantly improved the photosynthetic pigments except the anthocyanin content in both the potato cultivars. There was no negative impact on the phyllosphere microflora on foliar application of boron and nano-boron suspensions. The nano-boron (50 mg L−1) foliar application improved the total tuber yield, and significantly reduced tuber cracking percentage as compared to the control treatment. Also, the shoot and tuber N and B contents were improved when nano-boron particles were applied at 50 and 100 mg L−1 concentrations. Furthermore, foliar nano-boron fertilization had non-significant effect on all the soil parameters, but the soil dehydrogenase activity was significantly improved. Nano-boron exhibited improved yield and use-efficiency in potato.

Response of Cassava Tubers Yield and its Components to Different Agricultural Treatments

Response of Cassava Tubers Yield and its Components to Different Agricultural Treatments

Response of Indian Potato Varieties to Nitrogen Fertilization Regarding Growth, Nutrient Uptake, and Tuber Yield

Response of Indian Potato Varieties to Nitrogen Fertilization Regarding Growth, Nutrient Uptake, and Tuber Yield

Soil Water Stress Effects on Potato Tuber Starch Quality Formation

AbstractSoil water stress has a significant impact on crop physiology, however, the specific response of starch quality formation in potato tubers remains unreported. Here, two potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) varieties, one with high, and the other with low tuber starch content, were grown in pots under three different soil water stress treatments, maintaining 75, 50 and 25% of soil field capacity, respectively. Soil water stress restricted potato plant growth and development, and severe stress reduced tuber yield by 47.8% relative to the control. It also inhibited tuber starch biosynthesis, which declined by 62.4% (AGPase activity) relative to the control. Furthermore, water stress reduced tuber starch accumulation by 23.6% (total starch content) relative to the control, and finally, it shortened the tuber starch gelatinization process by 1.44% (pasting temperature) compared to the control. These results reflect the soil water stress regulation mechanism on starch formation and potato tuber quality. Moreover, the study provides a scientific basis for breeding of varieties with high starch content, for improving starch quality and high-efficiency cultivation in dryland potato production.

Improving Tuber Yield of Tiger Nut (Cyperus esculentus L.) through Nitrogen Fertilization in Sandy Farmland.

The cultivation of tiger nut (Cyperus esculentus L.) on marginal lands is a feasible and effective way to increase food production in Northern China. However, the specific influence of nitrogen fertilizer application on the growth dynamics, tuber expansion, overall yield, and nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) of tiger nuts cultivated on these sandy lands is yet to be fully elucidated. From 2021 to 2022, we conducted a study to determine the effect of N fertilizers on the leaf function morphology, canopy apparent photosynthesis (CAP), tuber yield, and NUE of tiger nut. The results indicate that the tuber yield and NUE are closely related to the specific leaf area (SLA), leaf area index (LAI), leaf nitrogen concentration per area (NA), CAP, and tuber expansion characteristics. Notably, significant enhancements in the SLA, LAI, NA, and CAP during the tuber expansion phase ranging from the 15th to the 45th day under the 300 kg N ha-1 treatment were observed, subsequently leading to increases in both the tuber yield and NUE. Moreover, a maximum average tuber filling rate was obtained under the N300 treatment. These improvements led to substantial increases in the tuber yield (32.1-35.5%), nitrogen agronomic efficiency (NAE, 2.1-5.3%), nitrogen partial factor productivity (NPP, 4.8-8.1%), and nitrogen recovery efficiency (NRE, 3.4-5.7%). Consequently, 300 kg N ha-1 of N fertilizers is the most effective dose for optimizing both the yield of tiger nut tubers and the NUE of tiger nut plants in marginal soils. Structural equation modeling reveals that N application affects the yield and NUE through its effects on leaf functional traits, the CAP, and the tuber filling characteristics. Modeling indicates that tuber expansion characteristics primarily impact the yield, while CAP predominantly governs the NUE. Above all, this study highlights the crucial role of N fertilizer in maximizing the tiger nut tuber yield potential on marginal lands, providing valuable insights into sustainable farming in dry areas.