A research team from the Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning (IARRP), Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), in collaboration with the Soil and Nutrient Management Division of China Agricultural Research System for Potato, has recently unveiled new findings into nutrient management for various potato varieties. Conducted over two years in Wuchuan county, Inner Mongolia, the study highlights how different potato varieties tailored for specific end-uses, respond to nutrient management concerning source-sink dynamics, yield, and quality formation. Published in Field Crops Research, this study addresses the issue that farmers' conventional fertilization practices often disregard varietal traits, leading to yield limitations and unmet processing needs. The results indicated that compared with farmers' conventional fertilization practices (250 kg N, 113 kg P, and 113 kg K per hectare), optimized fertilization based on the Nutrient Expert® system (210 kg N, 100 kg P, and 200 kg K per hectare) significantly increased yields across all varieties by enhancing source supply capacity. Excessive N input reduced starch content, while P deficiency inhibited reducing sugar accumulation. Increased K application improved both reducing sugar and vitamin C content.

The researchers recommend differentiated nutrient management strategies tailored to specific potato end-uses:

Fresh consumption varieties: Ensure adequate potassium to maintain high vitamin C levels.

Processing varieties for frying: Adjust phosphorus upward and potassium downward to control reducing sugars and secure frying quality.

Starch-processing varieties: Reduce nitrogen moderately to maximize starch content.

This research provides a theoretical basis and practical approach for reducing fertilizer use while improving yield and quality. It also offers technical guidance for variety-specific and purpose-oriented potato cultivation.

The study was conducted by Wang Weiyan, a Ph.D. student at IARRP, as first author, with He Ping as corresponding author. It was supported by the National Key Laboratory for Efficient Utilization of Dryland Farming in Northern China, the Smart Fertilization Project, and the China Agricultural Research System for Potato.

Original article: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fcr.2025.110074