Investigating the spatial variations of water consumption and fertilizer resource efficiencies in potato in Iran

Torkaman, Mostafa; Khorramdel, Soroor; Rezvani Moghaddam, Parviz; Nassiri Mahallati, Mahdi

doi:10.22034/iuvs.2023.1987555.1266

Investigating the spatial variations of water consumption and fertilizer resource efficiencies in potato in Iran

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Mostafa Torkaman ¹

Soroor Khorramdel ²

Parviz Rezvani Moghaddam ³

Mahdi Nassiri Mahallati ³

¹ PhD student in Agroecology, Department of Agrotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran

² Associate Professor, Department of Agrotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran

³ Professor, Department of Agrotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran

10.22034/iuvs.2023.1987555.1266

Abstract

Extended Abstract
1.     Introduction: As the global population continues to rise, the demand for food production has intensified. Limited water resources and environmental pollution resulting from the excessive use of chemical fertilizers have posed significant challenges to increasing food production. One viable approach to enhancing the sustainable production of agricultural products is to improve water use efficiency and optimize the utilization of various resources. The potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) requires substantial amounts of nitrogen (N), potassium (K), and phosphorus (P) fertilizers, as well as water, to achieve high yields. The availability of these inputs must be aligned with the plant's dynamic temporal needs; however, they also need to be accessible in the soil zones where the crop's root system can absorb them. Additionally, conditions must be favorable for root activity and nutrient uptake. These interactions are complex and influenced by the biological, physical, and chemical characteristics of the soil, as well as climatic conditions, which introduce a high degree of uncertainty. Therefore, enhancing the efficiency of resource consumption presents a significant challenge. This study aimed to investigate the spatial variations in the efficiencies of key inputs, namely nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and water consumption within potato crops in Iran.
2.     Materials and Methods: To explore the spatial variations in water, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium consumption efficiencies for potatoes from 2011 to 2020, research was conducted across various regions of Iran. Initially, provinces that produced over 80 percent of the country’s potatoes were identified. Subsequently, cities within these provinces that contributed more than 80 percent of potato production were selected for analysis. Data were collected through recorded statistics, information reviews, and face-to-face interviews. Efficiency indicators for nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and water consumption in these areas were calculated, along with correlation coefficients (Pearson coefficients) between climatic parameters, tuber yield, and input usage. Data analysis was performed using SigmaPlot software.
3.     Results and Discussion: The findings indicated that the highest nitrogen consumption efficiency was observed in Bahar city of Hamadan province (242.71 kg tubers per kg nitrogen), while Meshkin city in Ardabil province exhibited the highest water consumption efficiency (8.96 kg tubers per m³ water). The average consumption efficiencies for inputs revealed that Ardabil province had the highest efficiencies for nitrogen (159.01 kg tubers per kg nitrogen), phosphorus (177.30 kg tubers per kg phosphorus), and water (7.15 kg tubers per m² of water). The highest potassium use efficiency, at 628.27 kg tubers per kg potassium, was recorded in Kerman province. Conversely, Golestan province exhibited the lowest efficiencies for nitrogen (20.54 kg tubers per kg nitrogen), phosphorus (35.89 kg tubers per kg phosphorus), and potassium (21.72 kg tubers per kg potassium). Kerman province also showed the lowest water consumption efficiency at 593.0 kg tubers per m³ of water. The research results further indicated that nitrogen and water consumption efficiencies had a strong positive correlation with each other, whereas potassium consumption efficiency did not significantly correlate with the efficiencies of other resources. Regression analysis revealed that increases in nitrogen and phosphorus had the most substantial positive impact on potato yield, while temperature had the least effect. Interestingly, higher potassium levels were associated with a negative impact on potato yield.
4.     Conclusion: Strong interactions between water and various nutrient use efficiencies are prevalent in many farming systems. Management practices that aim to improve water use efficiency (WUE), nitrogen use efficiency (NUE), phosphorus use efficiency (PUE), and potassium use efficiency (KUE) simultaneously tend to be more successful than those that focus on optimizing these inputs individually. The complexity of enhancing NUE, PUE, KUE, and WUE necessitates an integrated approach that combines agronomy, breeding, and crop physiology to better understand the interactions among these indicators and their related traits under varying environmental conditions. Therefore, sustainable intensification of agriculture should prioritize management strategies aimed at enhancing both water and nutrient use efficiencies, particularly nitrogen. Given the significant correlations among resource use efficiencies and their direct impact on potato yield, it is evident that investigating and managing climatic factors to improve resource consumption efficiency in each region can significantly influence tuber yield. This, in turn, can help reduce the excessive consumption of various inputs within agricultural ecosystems.

Keywords

Climatic parameters

Precipitation

Temperature

Water use efficiency

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