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125-5 Polymer Coated Urea (ESN): Increase In Nitrogen Use Efficiency and Potato Tuber Size and Quality.



Monday, October 17, 2011: 2:20 PM
Henry Gonzalez Convention Center, Room 212A, Concourse Level

Joshua LeMonte1, Bryan Hopkins2 and Von Jolley2, (1)Plant and Soil Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE
(2)Brigham Young University, Provo, UT
Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) production is sensitive to a steady, adequate supply of nitrogen (N). Synergistically optimizing grower profits while maximizing N use efficiency (NUE) is critical to conserve nonrenewable natural resources used to manufacture N fertilizer and minimize N pollution to water and the atmosphere. Polymer coated urea (PCU, Environmentally Smart N or ESN®) is one type of N fertilizer which uses temperature-controlled diffusion to control N release to better match plant demand and mitigate environmental losses. Twelve studies were performed on Russet Burbank potato with urea, split-applied urea, and polymer coated urea (PCU) fertilizer at rates of 0, 33, 67, and 100% of the expected optimum N rate. Urea and PCU were applied at time of plant emergence with soil incorporation via hilling. The split applied urea was applied 50% at hilling and the remaining applied at 8-11 day intervals after the onset of tuber bulking phase. Averaged across rates, the polymer coated urea resulted in significantly higher US No. 1 yield than hilling and split applied urea an average of 8.5 and 5.2 Mg ha-1, respectively. Total yield was not significantly impacted in all fields. Tuber size increased an average of 38 g per tuber. Use of properly manufactured polymer coated urea, such as ESN, is a best management practice for potato production.

See more from this Division: S04 Soil Fertility & Plant Nutrition
See more from this Session: Chemical Fertilizers Advancements: Slow Release and Other New Chemical Amendment Strategies