BALANCING POTATO YIELD, QUALITY, AND PROFITABILITY THROUGH OPTIMAL NITROGEN FERTILIZATION IN VARIABLE SOIL FERTILITY FIELDS
Balancing Potato Yield, Quality, and Profitability through Optimal Nitrogen
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55766/sujst5536Keywords:
Nitrogen management, Potato yield, Soil fertility, Profitability optimization, Crop qualityAbstract
The relationship between different nitrogen (N) rates and their effects on potato yields and quality under various soil fertility conditions determines the best approach to maximize production while maintaining soil health. This research evaluated how different N application rates affect potato while determining the highest net profit and benefit-cost ratio in potato cultivation across multiple soil fertility conditions through testing ten N rates from 0 to 405 kg/ha. The increase in N fertilizer rates led to increased potato yields and dry matter production but the returns diminished after reaching a certain point. The increase of N levels in the soil resulted in increased plant height, leaf area index (LAI), soluble protein, and reducing sugar content in potato tubers but starch content decreased. The highest potato yields of 32,784 kg/ha occurred in fields with high soil fertility when applying 197 kg/ha of N fertilizer but low fertility fields reached only 9,117 kg/ha with 319 kg/ha of N application. The highest yield did not always lead to the greatest net profit because the optimal N rates were 193 kg/ha and 302 kg/ha which produced yield prices of $11,799/ha and $3,274/ha respectively. The research demonstrates that initial soil fertility directly affects potato production outcomes and quality while showing that N management strategies need to be adapted to soil types for maximum profitability.
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