Effects of Combined Farm Yard Manure and Chemical Fertilizer Application on Plant Growth, Tuber Yield, and Quality of Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.)

Proper nutrition practices are a crucial aspect of potato production. The utilization of various nutritional sources not only influences the growth of potatoes but also their yield and quality. Therefore, this study was conducted to determine the effects of mineral fertilizer (without or with 250–110-110 kg/ha N-P-K) and farmyard manure (0, 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 tonnes/ha) on plant growth, tuber yield, and tuber quality. Agria which is widely grown in Turkey was used in this study. The experiment was conducted using a split-plot design based on a randomized complete block design, with four replications. In the experiment, the respective values were recorded for each variable; plant height 65.5 – 102.1 cm, number of stem per plant 2.6 – 3.6, chlorophyl readings 50.0 – 55.9, number of tubers per plant 6.1 – 9.0, first-class tuber ratio 73.3 – 90.7%, second class tuber ratio 5.8 – 21.4%, discarded tuber ratio 1.7 – 5.4%, total tuber yield 31.4 – 45.1 t/ha, dry matter 15.70 – 18.78%, chips L value 45.65 – 54.81, and French fry L value 46.62 – 64.38. The application of both mineral fertilizer and animal manure positively impacts plant growth and development, but combining mineral fertilizer with farmyard manure results in even better plant growth, quality, and higher yield. Consequently, it was demonstrated that the application of mineral fertilizer together with 30 t/ha of farmyard manure provided the most optimal outcome for potato growth, yield, and quality.