Physiological, growth and yield responses of potato to bio- and nano-fertilizers under water deficit conditions
1Department of Vegetable Crops, Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo University, Giza 12613, Egypt. 2Department of Agricultural Botany, Plant Physiology Division, Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo University, Giza 12613, Egypt. Corresponding e-mail: amany.radwan@agr.cu.edu.eg
DOI: https://doi.org/10.37855/jah.2025.v27i04.133
Drought stress is a major constraint on potato production, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions. This study evaluated the effects of mineral fertilizers (MF), nanofertilizer (NF), biofertilizers (BF), and their combinations on growth, physiology, yield, and quality of potato (Solanum tuberosum L. cv. Spunta) under three irrigation levels: full irrigation 100% ETc (crop evapotranspiration) (IR100), moderate deficit 75% ETc (IR75), and severe deficit 50% ETc (IR50). Two field experiments were conducted using a split-plot design with three replicates. Results showed that reduced irrigation significantly decreased growth, photosynthesis, nutrient content, and yield. However, combined fertilization significantly reduced the effects of drought. The treatment ½MF + ½BF recorded the highest tuber yield at IR100 (29.3% above the control), without a significant difference from BF at IR75 (57.4%). At IR50, ½MF + ½NF also improved yield by 19.2% compared to control. Combined treatments also enhanced water-use efficiency, antioxidant enzyme activities, and hormonal balance while improving tuber starch and nutrient contents. These findings suggest that integrating mineral, nano-, and biofertilizers is an effective method for improving potato productivity and quality under limited water conditions.
