Optimization of elements of varietal agricultural technology in potato cultivation

The research was carried out in 2018-2020 on a new early potato variety Azart  in Russian Potato Research Centre in the conditions of sod-podzolic sandy loam soils of the Central region of the Non-Chernozem zone. In the experiment, we studied a complex of agrotechnical techniques, including the timing, density of planting and methods of applying mineral fertilizers in order to accelerate growth, subsequent development, increase plant productivity and uninterrupted supply of nutrients throughout the growing season. It was found  out that early planting accelerated the emergence of seedlings by 6-7 days, and the onset of the budding and flowering phase of plants by 4-6 days. The mass of the tops, and the area of the assimilation surface of the leaves increased by 1.5 t/ha and 2.6 thousand m2 / ha. The yield increase from early planting for an average of 3 years reached up to 1.8 t/ha or 4.5%, and from fractional fertilization up to 2.1 t/ha or 5.3% in comparison with the corresponding controls. The combined use of agricultural techniques in the experiment allowed us to obtain a yield increase of 3.7 t/ha or 9.7%.  Conditional income amounted to 39 thousand rubles/ha, and the cost price – 3.7 rubles/kg, which is 0.3 rubles/kg less than in the control. Thickening of plantings to 50 and 56 thousand tubers/ha contributed to an increase in the yield of tubers by an average of 2.8-3.3 t/ha or up to 8.7%, compared with the control. Conditional income increased on these options to an average of 8.0 thousand rubles/ha.