Potato cultivars have different strategies for dealing with potassium (K) deficiency in soil, and their response to different forms and rates of K fertilisation may vary because of differences in soil K availability. This study was performed to evaluate the effect of K fertilisation rates (0, 30, 60, 90, 120 and 150 kg K/ha) on tuber yield and quality (dry matter, starch, sugar and ascorbic acid content, taste) of two potato cultivars (Roco and Rosara) grown in the microplot field experiment on Luvisol in the forest-steppe zone in southern West Siberia, Russia (NL 54.422106, EL 83.160257). The tuber yield of both potato cultivars increased with increase in K application rate up to 2.1 and 2.9 kg/m2 for Roco and Rosara, respectively. Sugar content, averaging 3.5%, was mostly determined by cultivar; however, in both cultivars it tended to decrease with increasing K application rate. The application of K fertiliser in the form of sulphate as compared to chloride increased dry matter content from 22.4 to 23.8% and ascorbic acid content from 13.2 to 14.6 mg/100 g fresh mass. Starch content of potato tubers averaged 59.7 ± 4.8% over all K fertilisation variants, with cultivar responses being different. Potassium application rate did not affect Roco tubers’ taste, while improving Rosara tubers’ taste under moderate application rates. The results underscore the importance to adjust fertiliser recommendations concerning potassium application rates and source on the basis of biological requirements and intended utilization of individual potato cultivars

The article presents the results of research on the development of methods for processing energy crops – Miscanthus into industrial products with high added value: paper, ethanol. Data on crop yield and the quality of the resulting cellulose-containing raw materials are presented. In field experiments, the possibility of effective cultivation of perennial Miscanthus plantations in the continental regions of Russia was established. The favorable ecological impact of Miscanthus planting on the agricultural landscape was revealed.

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In stationary field experiments in the forest-steppe of Western Siberia, it was shown that long-term agricultural use of soil without the use of fertilizers caused a decrease in the soil content of heavy metals related to plant micronutrients — Cu, Zn, Co; the level of Pb, Cr, Sr has changed slightly. It was established that the long-term application of high, agronomically justified doses of mineral fertilizers, accompanied by a significant increase in the yield of cultivated crops, did not lead to an increase in the content of HM in the soil, compared with not fertilized areas. It was revealed that the unbalanced use of fertilizers, not ensured by the growth of crop productivity, contributed to the accumulation of HM in the soil. The necessity of monitoring the agro-ecological state of soils of agrocenoses in order to identify both excessive accumulation of heavy metals and micronutrient deficiency is substantiated.

Imbalance of nutrients limits crop yields. Although K fertilization receives sufficient attention in research and practice, Mg supply is rather neglected. The effect of Mg fertilization (0, 5 and 10 g Mg/m2), combined with two K fertilization rates (10 and 15 g K/m2), on potato production and soil exchangeable K and Mg was studied in a three-season microplot field experiment in the Novosibirsk region, Russia. Tuber yield did not respond to the increased K fertilization, but increased at 5 and decreased at 10 g Mg/m2. Total Mg concentration in tubers increased at 15 g K/m2, whereas N, P and K were not affected by fertilization. The tuber yield was maximal (3.6 kg/m2) at 10 g K/m2 and 5 g Mg/m2. Soil exchangeable Mg increased by the year, resulting in preferential development of the aboveground phytomass due to apparently increased Mg availability and K/Mg imbalance. Potato production depended on the year, strongly implicating weather conditions. Therefore, the weather and the chemical nature of K and Mg fertilizers (as pertinent to their release mode from fertilizer in soil), are important for balancing their proportions and amounts while assessing interactions among nutrients in potato production and adjusting regional fertilization strategies.