Impact of Soil Moisture and Nutrient Management on the Growth and Yield of Two Potato Cultivars

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

Abstract - Effective moisture and nutrient management during tuber formation and growth significantly impacts potato yields. While many farms rely on natural rainfall, some enhance potato growth and yield using furrow irrigation, fountain hoses, sprinklers, and drip hoses. However, there is limited research on the optimal fertigation levels for potato cultivation in Korea. This study aims to determine the optimal moisture content for spring potato cultivation and establish suitable fertilization standards. To investigate the effect of soil moisture content on potato growth and yield, tests were conducted with soil moisture levels set at 10% and 20%. Results showed that growth and yield were highest in the 20% treatment group for both the ‘Superior’ and ‘Seohong’ cultivars. To determine additional fertilizer standards, the control group (basic fertilization without additional fertilizer) and treatments of 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 times the standard fertilizer amount were applied using compound fertilizer (NPK). Among these treatments, the growth and yield of potatoes were optimal in the 50-100% fertilization group for both cultivars. Therefore, to maximize yield during spring potato cultivation, it is recommended to maintain soil moisture at 20% and apply NPK fertilizer at 50-100% of the standard amount during the tuber formation and enlargement periods. This approach can effectively increase both the above-ground biomass and tuber yield.