The impact of the biologisation of fertilisation systems on potato yield and quality

Kateryna Shemetun, Anatoly Balaiev, Oksana Tonkha, Olena Pikovska
Abstract

Under conditions of Albeluvisol soils degradation, the improvement of potato fertilisation systems through biologisation is essential for preserving and restoring soil fertility. The aim of the article was to assess yield structure, productivity, and the quality of potato tubers under the application of mineral fertilisers, rye straw, green manure crops of lupin and oilseed radish. The study was conducted at the “Prohres” farm in Kozelets District, Chernihiv Region, affiliated with the Institute of Agricultural Microbiology, on soddy weakly podzolic sandy loam soil formed on glaciofluvial deposits. The research findings established that, in terms of the distribution of potato tubers by weight, yield indicators, and dry matter content, the most effective treatment involved the cultivation of narrow-leaved lupin as a green manure crop combined with the application of N120P90K120. In particular, yield under this treatment reached 23.1 t/ha, which was 15.9 t/ha higher than the control (7.2 t/ha), while the application of mineral fertilisers alone ensured a yield increase of 12.1 t/ha. The use of oilseed radish as green manure together with N120P90K120 was slightly inferior to the lupin and mineral fertiliser treatment, but showed advantages over the straw and N120P90K120 treatment in terms of yield structure and dry matter content; at the same time, this treatment produced the highest increase in starch content – 0.7%. Furthermore, the application of biologised fertilisation systems ensured a 2.0-3.0-fold increase in yield compared with the control. Under green manure cultivation, yield indicators, tuber distribution, and tuber quality were lower compared with the N120P90K120 treatment. The practical significance of the study lies in the fact that the combination of lupin as green manure with mineral fertilisation may be recommended both for industrial potato production and for small household farms, as it ensures stable yields of high quality

Keywords

green manure crops; straw; mineral fertilisers; starch content; potato tubers; sod-podzolic soil; Polissia

Suggested citation
Shemetun, K., Balaiev, A., Tonkha, O., & Pikovska, O. (2026). The impact of the biologisation of fertilisation systems on potato yield and quality. Scientific Reports of the National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine, 22(3),58-70. https://doi.org/10.31548/dopovidi/3.2026.58
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