Production and physical quality of sweet potatoes under phosphate fertilization

Abstract

Phosphorus (P) is a primordial mineral nutrient for plants, as it is directly linked to physiological and biochemical processes essential for plant maintenance, and can influence the production and final quality of the product. Furthermore, P favors good root development, which can benefit sweet potato crop. Thus, the objective of the work is to assess the influence of increasing doses of P on the production and physical quality of sweet potatoes in two growing seasons in a semi-arid environment. The experiments were carried out from April to August 2021 (season 1) and from December 2021 to April 2022 (season 2) at the Rafael Fernandes Experimental Farm - UFERSA, Mossoró, RN, BR. The design was randomized blocks, with four replications. The treatments consisted of five doses of P (0; 60; 120; 180 and 240 kg ha-1 of P2O5) via fertigation and tested on the sweet potato cultivar Paraná. After harvesting the roots, the number and yield of roots (commercial, non-commercial and total), the average mass and the percentage of commercial roots were evaluated. Commercial roots were evaluated for firmness, elasticity and cooking time. The P doses influenced the production characteristics, mainly at the dose of 60 kg ha-1 of P2O5, which promoted increases in the yield of commercial roots. The doses of P promoted the reduction of firmness for both growing seasons. A dose of 180 kg ha-1 of P2O5 led to the shortest cooking time for the second growing season.