Synergistic effects of organic and inorganic fertilizers on potato yield and soil nutrient status

Downloads

Published

2026-09-30

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.58993/ijh/2026.83.3.11

Keywords:

Biofertilizer, organic fertilization, nutrients availability, rice residue, vermicompost, potato yield.
Dimensions Badge

Issue

Vol. 83 No. 03 (2026): Indian Journal of Horticulture

Section

Research Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2026 Deepak Kumar, Amrendra Kumar, Sajeel Ahamad, Bhayankar .

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Authors

  • Deepak Kumar Department of Agronomy, Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University, Pusa, Samastipur 848125, Bihar, India
  • Amrendra Kumar Department of Agronomy, Tirhut College of Agriculture, Dholi, Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University, Pusa, Bihar, India
  • Sajeel Ahamad Division of Food Science and Postharvest Technology, ICAR- Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110012, India
  • Bhayankar . Department of Agronomy, Chandra Shekhar Azad University of Agriculture and Technology, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India

Abstract

Potato, a nutrient-exhaustive crop, depends heavily on external nutrient inputs, and the prolonged use of chemical fertilizers has raised serious concerns regarding soil degradation and environmental sustainability. In this context, the present study evaluated the efficacy of organic nutrient management as a sustainable alternative by examining its effects on potato productivity, nutrient uptake, and soil nutrient availability. The experiment revealed that the integrated application of rice residue incorporation (5 t ha⁻¹), biofertilizers (Azotobacter, phosphate-solubilizing bacteria, and Trichoderma viride @ 5 kg ha⁻¹), and vermicompost (7.5 t ha⁻¹) significantly enhanced the number of tubers per plant compared to sole chemical fertilization. Notably, the organic treatment produced tuber yields statistically comparable to those obtained with 100% recommended dose of fertilizers (RDF), indicating its potential to substitute conventional inputs without compromising productivity. In addition, organic nutrient management improved the uptake of essential nutrients, particularly nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, and increased their availability in soil, reflecting enhanced nutrient cycling and soil fertility. The synergistic effects of organic inputs likely promoted better soil structure, microbial activity, and sustained nutrient release. Overall, the findings demonstrate that integrated organic nutrient management can maintain potato yield while improving soil health, thereby offering a viable and environmentally sustainable alternative to chemical fertilization in intensive cropping systems.

How to Cite

Kumar, D., Kumar, A., Ahamad, S., & ., B. (2026). Synergistic effects of organic and inorganic fertilizers on potato yield and soil nutrient status. Indian Journal of Horticulture, 83(03), 335–341. https://doi.org/10.58993/ijh/2026.83.3.11

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

1. Behera, L., Datta, D., Kumar, S., Kumar, S., Sravani, B. and Chandra, R. 2022. Role of microbial consortia in remediation of soil, water and environmental pollution caused by indiscriminate use of chemicals in agriculture: Opportunities and challenges. New Future Dev. Microb. Biotechnol. Bioeng., 399-418.

2. Diacono, M. and Montemurro, F. 2011. Long-term effects of organic amendments on soil fertility. Sustain. Agric., 2: 761-786.

3. Dupuis, J. H. and Liu, Q. 2019. Potato starch: a review of physicochemical, functional and nutritional properties. Am. J. Potato Res., 96(2): 127-138.

4. Jackson, M. L. 1973. Soil chemical analysis. New Delhi, India: Prentice Hall of India.

5. Jackson, M.L. 1967. Soil chemical analysis. Prentice Hall India, Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi, pp. 498.

6. Kumar, A. and Garhwal, R.S. 2022. Impact of various organic and inorganic sources of fertilizers on yield, yield attributes, and nutrients accumulation in direct seeded basmati rice. Indian J. Ecol., 49(2): 435-439.

7. Kumar, P., Pannu, R.K. and Khokhar, S.K., 2012. Effect of organic sources of nutrition and irrigation levels on growth and yield of wheat (T. aestivum). Int. J. Life Sc. Bt & Pharm. Res, 1(4): 178-186.

8. Meena, B.P., Kumar, A., Dotaniya, M.L., Jat, N.K. and Lal, B. 2016. Effect of organic sources of nutrients on tuber bulking rate, grades and specific gravity of potato tubers. Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. India Sect. B: Biol. Sci., 86: 47-53.

9. Mushtaq, Z., Alasmari, A., Demir, C., Oral, M. A., Bellitürk, K. and Baran, M. F. 2025. Enhancing iron content in potatoes: a critical strategy for combating nutritional deficiencies. Potato Res., 68(1): 715-741.

10. NAAS, 2012. Management of crop residues in the context of conservation agriculture. Policy paper 58: 1-64.

11. Nongmaithem, D. and Pal, D. 2011. The effect of organic sources of nutrients on the growth attributes and yields of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.). J. Crop Weed, 7(2): 67-69.

12. Nosheen, S., Ajmal, I. and Song, Y. 2021. Microbes as biofertilizers, a potential approach for sustainable crop production. Sustainability, 13(4): 1868.

13. Pahalvi, H.N., Rafya, L., Rashid, S., Nisar, B. and Kamili, A.N. 2021. Chemical fertilizers and their impact on soil health. Microbiota Biofertilizer, 2: 21-20.

14. Patel, H. D. and Pundir, R. S. 2025. Cost and return analysis of potato production in Gujarat. Int. J. Res. Agron., 8(1S): 18-22.

15. Rehman, S.U., De Castro, F., Aprile, A., Benedetti, M. and Fanizzi, F.P. 2023. Vermicompost: Enhancing plant growth and combating abiotic and biotic stress. Agron., 13(4): 1134.

16. Sarkar, S., Skalicky, M., Hossain, A., Brestic, M., Saha, S., Garai, S., Ray, K. and Brahmachari, K. 2020. Management of crop residues for improving input use efficiency and agricultural sustainability. Sustainability, 12(23): 9808.

17. Singh, S., Mishra, D.P., Kumar, V. and Singh, G. 2016. Effect of organic sources of nutrients and biofertilizers on growth and yield of potato. Adv. Life Sci., 5(4): 1426-1431.

18. Subbiah, B.V. and Asija, G.L. 1956. A rapid procedure for estimation of available nitrogen in soils. Curr. Sci., 25: 259–260.

19. Thomas, G.V., Mathew, A.E., Baby, G. and Mukundan, M.K. 2019. Bioconversion of residue biomass from a tropical homestead agro-ecosystem to value added vermicompost by Eudrilus species of earthworm. Waste Biomass Valorization, 10: 1821-1831.

20. Verma, S.K., Asati, B.S., Tamrakar, S.K., Nanda, H.C. and Gupta, C.R. 2011. Effect of organic components on growth, yield and economic returns in potato. Potato J., 38(1): 51-55.

21. Wang, Z.H., Li, S.X. and Malhi, S. 2008. Effects of fertilization and other agronomic measures on nutritional quality of crops. J. Sci. Food Agric., 88(1): 7-23.

22. Xu, X., Chen, X., Man, Q., Li, W., Wang, L., Liu, X. and Cui, J. 2025. Multi-omics, network pharmacology, and molecular docking provide insights into the genetic basis, bioactive, and potential antioxidant mechanisms in potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) flesh. Sci. Hortic., 345: 114148.

23. Zaman, A., Sarkar, A., Sarkar, S. and Devi, W.P. 2011. Effect of organic and inorganic sources of nutrients on productivity, specific gravity and processing quality of potato (Solanum tuberosum). Indian J. Agri. Sci., 81(12): 1137-1142.

Similar Articles

<< < 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 > >> 

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.