The Impact of Water and Nitrogen Management on the Growth and Yield of Potatoes

Abstract

This study employed a two-factor three-level experiment to investigate the effects of water and nitrogen regulation on the growth and yield of potatoes. The results indicated that: (1) Under equal irrigation water, there was no significant correlation between plant height and nitrogen application rate (the T5 treatment reached the peak), nitrogen application significantly affected stem diameter from tuber formation to starch accumulation period, and high nitrogen promoted leaf area expansion in the later growth stage; (2) Under equal nitrogen application, the W1 medium water treatment significantly increased plant height, stem diameter and leaf area (P<0.01); (3) The interaction effect of water and nitrogen had a highly significant impact on the number of tubers, single plant tuber weight and yield. The optimal water and nitrogen regulation scheme for potatoes in the Hexi Oasis area was the T5 treatment (medium water and medium nitrogen), which achieved the maximum yield through the coordinated optimization of water and nitrogen ratios.