An Attempt to Reduce the Water Requirements of Potatoes Using Certain Agricultural Practices and the Impact on Productivity, Tuber Quality and Water Use Efficiency

Abstract

This experiment was conducted on potato plants at a private farm at Sin El-Baharya – Badr District Center, Beheira Governorate, Egypt, over the winter season of 2024/2025 and 2025/2026, focusing on the effect of different irrigation water quantity (IWQ) (1000, 1250, 1500 and 1750 (m3/fed.), K rates at 75, and 100 % of the recommended rate (RR) which equal 96 and 72 kg K2O/fed. respectively, humic acid (HA) at 0 and 10 kg/fed. as soil application and their interactions on the growth, and productivity, potassium and water use efficiency (KUE and WUE) , and quality of the tubers in a sandy soil. The experiment was carried out in a split-split plot design, in which the irrigation water amounts was the main plot, the sub plot varied the K rates and the HA rate occupied in the sub sub plot. The triple interaction among IWQ at 1500 m3/fed. and fertilizing potato plants with 75 % RR which equal 72 kg K2O kg/ fed. and HA at 10 kg /fed. as soil application was the best treatment for enhancing plant growth and productivity and KUE. In addition, this treatment led to a relative increase in the total yield by 5.8% and saved 250 m3/fed. water than the interaction among IWQ at 1750 m3/fed. , with the same of K and HA amounts in both seasons. While, IWQ at 1750 m3/fed. and fertilizing with K at 100 % (96 kg K2O/fed.) and HA at 10 kg /fed. produced the best tuber quality. On other side, the maximum WUE were obtained with the interaction among IWQ at 1000 m3 water/fed., K at 100 % RR and HA at 10 kg /feddan in both seasons.