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Impact of enhanced efficiency fertilizers on potato productivity in a temperate cropping system
Author(s) -
Eyles A.,
Ives S.,
Hardie M.,
Corkrey R.,
Boersma M.
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
soil use and management
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.709
H-Index - 81
eISSN - 1475-2743
pISSN - 0266-0032
DOI - 10.1111/sum.12459
Subject(s) - agronomy , nitrification , temperate climate , fertilizer , productivity , field experiment , environmental science , irrigation , ammonium nitrate , crop yield , nitrate , cropping , chemistry , nitrogen , agriculture , biology , botany , ecology , macroeconomics , organic chemistry , economics
Nitrification inhibitors are intended to improve the productivity of agricultural crops; however, there are limited data available on the efficacy of this approach in potato crop production. A field experiment was carried out in temperate Australia to compare the effect of standard commercial fertilizer nitrogen (N) management with fertilizer treated with two nitrification inhibitors, 3,4‐dimethylpyrazole phosphate ( DMPP ) and 1H‐1,2,4‐triazole and 3‐methylpyrazole (3 MP + TZ ) on potato productivity and soil N dynamics for three irrigation regimes. Despite evidence of increased soil ammonium ( NH 4 + ) concentrations in the DMPP and 3 MP + TZ treatments, crop yield and quality parameters (tuber number, average tuber size, potato‐specific gravity, three tuber size classes and grade yields) were similar across treatments. Further, DMPP and 3 MP + TZ treatments did not reduce either the concentration or the flux of nitrate leached. These findings suggest that further research into the agronomic benefits of nitrification inhibitors for potatoes grown in cool temperate regions is needed.