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Bamatov I.M., Fomicheva N.V., Smirnova Yu.D., Rabinovich G.Yu. Using a new organic fertilizer when growing potatoes (Solanum tuberosum L.) in the Central Non-Chernozem region. Sel'skokhozyaistvennaya Biologiya [Agricultural Biology], 2026, Vol. 61, № 1, p. 172-188.
(how to cite this article)

doi: 10.15389/agrobiology.2026.1.172eng

UDC: 633.491:631.87

 

USING A NEW ORGANIC FERTILIZER WHEN GROWING POTATOES (Solanum tuberosum L.) IN THE CENTRAL NON-CHERNOZEM REGION

I.M. Bamatov, N.V. Fomicheva ✉, Yu.D. Smirnova, G.Yu. Rabinovich

FRC Dokuchaev Soil Science Institute, 7/2, Pyzhevsky per., Moscow, 119017 Russia, e-mail ibragim-1991@mail.ru,
nvfomi@mail.ru (✉ corresponding author), ulayad@yandex.ru, gur_u@mail.ru

ORCID:
Bamatov I.M. orcid.org/0000-0002-9098-5012
Smirnova Yu.D. orcid.org/0000-0003-2435-2089
Fomicheva N.V. orcid.org/0000-0002-2272-7767
Rabinovich G.Yu. orcid.org/0000-0002-5060-6241

Final revision received June 11, 2025
Accepted July 31, 2025

Potatoes are one of the world's most important food crops. To increase yields, organic fertilizers are increasingly used, as they can also improve tuber quality and enhance soil fertility. Organic fertilizers are primarily derived from livestock and poultry waste through composting. For instance, a technology has been developed to produce liquid preparations for crop production, where the fermentation product (PF) of a peat-manure mixture serves as an intermediate (All-Russian Research Institute of Reclaimed Lands a branch of the Federal Research Center Dokuchaev Soil Science Institute). PF has a complex composition, containing agronomically significant microflora, as well as macro- and microelements; therefore, it was studied as a standalone fertilizer. This study is the first to demonstrate the effectiveness of the fermentation product in potato cultivation, which allows it to be classified as a new organic fertilizer and produced as a target product alongside liquid preparations. The aim of the work was to study the effect of the new organic fertilizer PF on the direction of microbiological processes in the soil during potato cultivation, and to evaluate crop productivity and specific quality indicators. The field trial was conducted in 2022-2024 in the Tver region. Mid-season Skarb variety potatoes were grown on light loamy sod-podzolic soil at the Gubino agro-testing site (VNIIMZ, Kalininsky District). The trial was carried out on the same site for three years, with spring wheat as the preceding crop. The fermentation product was applied locally during planting at rates of 2, 4, 6, and 8 t/ha. Non-fertilized experimental plots served as the control. For comparison, plots with local application of multipurpose compost (KMN), developed by VNIIMZ, were also used. To assess the impact of organic fertilizers on soil microflora, soil samples were aseptically collected from the arable layer (0-20 cm) during the emergence, flowering, and early haulm senescence stages. Dominant microorganisms for sod-podzolic soil were quantified using the serial dilution method followed by plating on solid nutrient media. To evaluate the intensity and direction of nitrogen transformation in soil organic matter, microbiological coefficients were calculated based on the abundance ratios of specific physiological groups of microorganisms. Soil organic matter was determined according to GOST 26213-2021 (Moscow, 2021), nitrate content in potatoes according to GOST 29270-95 (Moscow, 2010), and starch content was measured gravimetrically based on the specific gravity of tubers in air and water. To determine the NDVI (normalized difference vegetation index), 960 potato plants were scanned using a portable PSI PolyPen RP410/UVIS (Photon Systems Instruments, Czech Republic) device. Yield was determined manually from the entire plot area, followed by grading into large (> 100 g), medium (50-100 g), and small (< 50 g) fractions. On average, over the three-year period, it was found that soil processes during the emergence phase had the greatest impact on yield formation. The application of PF reduced the mineralization of soil organic nitrogen by 9-57 % and increased the organic compound transformation coefficient by 1.2-3.7 times (indirectly indicating soil organic matter accumulation and preservation of potential fertility). Furthermore, the abundance of dominant soil microflora increased by 17-37 % compared to the control. A statistically significant increase in yield was observed in all PF treatments. The maximum yield increase (34.4 %) was achieved with 8 t/ha of PF, resulting from a higher number of tubers per hill (by 11.3 %), increased average tuber weight (by 22.2 % PF), and a larger proportion of the large fraction (by 31.4 %). The minimum PF dose (2 t/ha) provided a stable yield increase of 21.7 % over three years, supported by peak soil microflora activity during flowering and tuberization (up to an 83 % increase), higher photosynthetic activity (NDVI 0.725±0.015 vs 0.690±0.014 in control), and the formation of the highest number of tubers (average 9.8 pcs. vs 7.9 pcs. in control), primarily seed potatoes. An evaluation of experimental data, including their mathematical analysis, allowed us to establish that the type and dosage of organic fertilizer determine the direction of microbiological transformations in the soil, which should be considered when designing agricultural technologies. The optimal dose of the fermentation product depends on the production goal: obtaining seed material (2 t/ha) or producing ware potatoes while enhancing soil fertility (8 t/ha). Future research will focus on the effect of PF on other crops and its combined use with foliar applications of liquid preparations.

Keywords: fermentation product, organic fertilizer, potato, sod-podzolic soil, yield, microorganisms, potato fractions, NDVI.

 

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