ARS | Publication request: Potato Nitrogen and Water Management

Submitted to: International Symposium on Plant Nutrient Management Under Stress Conditions
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: October 30, 2008
Publication Date: November 24, 2008
Citation: Alva, A.K., Collins, H.P., Boydston, R.A. 2008. Potato Nitrogen and Water Management. International Symposium on Plant Nutrient Management Under Stress Conditions. Nov. 24-27, 2008. Cairo, Egypt. Pp. 329-333.

Technical Abstract: Potato tuber yields and quality are extremely sensitive to adequate availability of water and nitrogen, particularly at some growth stages. Irrigation to replenish 70% of evapotranspiration (ET) as compared to that of full ET, resulted in about 18% reduction in tuber yield. However, 20% deficit irrigation resulted in a 7% reduction in tuber yield (yet significant) as compared to that with full ET irrigation. At this deficit irrigation, nitrogen management of about 112 kg/ha pre-plant broadcast application and 112 to 224 kg/ha of nitrogen applied as fertigation (in five applications at two-week intervals which began four weeks after seedling emergence) appeared to be the most optimal nitrogen management for optimal yields of high-processing quality tubers in the US Pacific Northwest production conditions. Economic, environmental, and resource management factors must be considered in evaluation of trade off between 7% reduction in tuber yield verses 15-20% savings in irrigation water in order to make recommendations to the growers in this predominantly irrigation dependent, high-yielding, potato production region.