TUBER YIELD AND EVAPOTRANSPIRATION OF POTATO DEPENDING ON SOIL MATRIC POTENTIAL

N. Deletic, M. Aksic, J. Knezevic, N. Gudzic, S. Gudzic, S. Stojkovic

Abstract: This study has been carried out through field trials with irrigation in the river valley of Southern Morava, near Nis, at the alluvium soil type, in the period 2008-2009. The experimental field consisted of three treatments with irrigation (soil matric potential of 20, 30 and 40 kPa), as well as unirrigated control. Irrigation schedule was determined by tensiometers based on the observed soil matric potential values. The highest potato tuber yield (48.30 t ha-1) was observed at the variant where soil matric potential of 30 kPa was kept. Potato tuber yield was the highest when water consumption for evapotranspiration amounted from 491.3 to 498.6 mm, while at higher or lower values of water consumption for ET tuber yield dropped. Water use efficiency of potato during the studied period ranged from 81.23 to 98.21 kg ha-1 mm-1. The data concerning tuber yield, evapotranspiration and WUE of potato point to the fact that, in order to reach high potato tuber yield and quality, one ought to keep soil matric potential at levels around 30 kPa for the conditions of south Serbia.

Keywords: evapotranspiration; potato; soil matric potential; water use efficiency

Date published: 2017-10-20