Water and Nitrogen Productivity of Potato Growth in Desert Areas under Low-Discharge Drip Irrigation

Abstract

Narrow profit margins, resource conservation issues and environmental concerns are the main driving forces to improve fertilizer uptake, especially for potatoes. Potatoes are a high value crop with a shallow, inefficient root system and high fertilizer rate requirements. Of all essential nutrients, nitrogen (N) is often limiting to potato production. A major concern in potato production is to minimize N leaching from the root zone. Therefore, the main objective of this study was to examine the potato crop characteristics under drip irrigation with low-discharge (0.6 L h−1) and to determine the optimal combination of irrigation (40, 60, 80, and 100%) and fertigation (0, 50, and 100%) doses. In this study, the 80% (438.6 mm) irrigation dose and a 50% (50 mg N L−1) fertigation dose (W80%F50%) showed that these doses are sufficient for optimal potato yield (about 40 ton ha−1) in conjunction with water and fertilizer savings. Moreover, this treatment did not exhibit any qualitative changes in the potato tuber compared to the 100% treatments. When considering water productivity and yield, one may select a harsher irrigation regime if the available agricultural soils are not a limiting factor. Thus, higher yields can be obtained with lower irrigation and fertigation doses and a larger area.

Requirements for Sustainable Irrigated Agriculture

“…They also found an increase of nitrogen use efficiency (NUE). An increase of both WUE and NUE when optimising drip irrigation was also found by Trifonov et al [75]. However, WUE essentially depends on several factors, including crop management and irrigation scheduling [72].…”

Optimization of irrigation and fertilization of drip‐irrigated corn in the chernozem area of north‐east China based on the CERES‐Maize model

“…Factors that affect nitrate nitrogen leaching include irrigation schedule, climate change and nitrogen fertilization mode. As climatic factors are uncontrollable, nitrogen leaching can be reduced via adequate management of irrigation and fertilization (Sui et al, 2015; Trifonoy et al, 2018). He et al (2012) proposed that frequent irrigation will cause nitrogen leaching, because frequent irrigation will increase the soil moisture content and rainfall will not be stored in the soil and will percolate into deep soil layers, thus promoting nitrogen leaching; in contrast, frequent application of a small amount of N fertilizer is beneficial for crop absorption of nutrients and nitrogen leaching may be reduced.…”

Precision Irrigation Strategies for Sustainable Water Budgeting of Potato Crop in Prince Edward Island

“…The highest yield was measured in sprinkler-irrigated plots at the 60 g m −3 nitrogen concentration levels. Trifonov et al [21] studied potato crop characteristics under low discharge from a drip irrigation system, to determine the optimal dosses of irrigation and fertigation. Their results suggested that drip and fertigation systems were water-productive systems when available agricultural soils were not a limiting factor.…”