Possibility of increasing early crop potato yield with foliar application of silicon

Abstract

This paper analyses the effect of dosage (0.25 dm3 ha–1 or 0.50 dm3 ha–1) and time (the leaf development stage – BBCH 14–16, tuber initiation stage – BBCH 40–41, at both the leaf development stage and tuber initiation stage) of silicon-based stimulant Optysil application (200 g SiO2 and 24 g Fe in 1 dm3) on early potato yield and yield components. Optysil resulted in an increase in tuber number and tuber weight per plant. As a result, under periodic water deficits during tuber bulking, Optysil increased marketable tuber (with a diameter above 30 mm) yield by an average of 6.90 t ha–1 (50%) and under drought conditions during the potato growth period by 0.70 t ha–1 (8.6%). Under periodic water deficits during tuber bulking, the marketable tuber number per plant and marketable yield were greatest after applying 0.50 dm3 ha–1 of Optysil in the tuber initiation stage (BBCH 40–41). Under drought conditions, the most practical were two Optysil applications at 0.25 dm3 ha–1. The Optysil application improved the market value of the early potato yield by increasing the share of medium-sized tubers (with a diameter of 41–50 mm).