Managing a Drip Irrigation System to Maximize Potato Crop Productivity Using Nano-Phosphate in Sandy Soil

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Soil and Water Research Department, Nuclear Research Center, Egyptian Atomic Energy Authority, Inshas, Egypt

2 Agricultural Engineering Dept, Fac of Agric, Ain Shams Univ, P.O. Box 68, Hadayek Shubra 11241, Cairo, Egypt

3 Materials Science and Nanotechnology Dept, Fac of Postgraduate Studies for Advanced Science, Beni-Suef University, Egypt

Abstract

Phosphorus is essential for plant growth, but its low availability in sandy soils limits agricultural productivity. Therefore, an open-field experiment was conducted on sandy soil under drip irrigation to compare the effects of nano and traditional phosphate fertilizers on potato yield and water use efficiency (WUE). Irrigation was maintained at 100% field capacity (FC), with the system showing an emission uniformity of 96.42% and emitter clogging at 14.4%. The reference evapotranspiration (ETo) and crop evapotranspiration (ETc) were 512.1 and 498.5 mm season-1 , respectively, with adjusted crop coefficients (Kc adj) of 0.46, 0.82, 1.22, and 0.99 for the initial, development, mid-season, and late-season growth stages. The results revealed that tuber yield was slightly higher with nano-phosphate (10.47 ton ha-1 ) than with conventional phosphate (10.34 ton ha-1), while water use efficiency (WUE) was recorded at 2.10 and 2.07 kg m-3, respectively. As a result of the crop coefficient adjustment, the water requirements of 7.15 and 31.00 m³ ha¹ during the initial and development stages were reduced, and the nano phosphate achieved an 80% reduction in the recommended phosphorus fertilizer dose. Combining nano-phosphate and optimal irrigation enhances water and phosphorus use efficiency, creating an eco-friendly strategy for potato cultivation in sandy soils.

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