Argentina: Application of biofertilizers in potato cultivation in the province of Tucumán

In Argentina, approximately 80,000 hectares of potatoes (Solanum tuberosum) are cultivated, with an average yield of around 35 t/ha (Agricultural Production Directorate, 2023). 74% of production is for fresh consumption, while the remaining 26% is for processing (Ceconello et al., 2022). In Tucumán, the planted area in the 2024 season was 9,260 hectares, concentrated in the departments of Chicligasta, Río Chico, Juan Bautista Alberdi, La Cocha, and Graneros (Scandaliaris et al., 2025).

It has been shown that monoculture and the intensive use of synthetic chemical fertilizers in different crops have negative effects on the soil over the years by reducing the content of organic matter and altering the native microbial population, resulting in decreases in crop yield (Lovaisa et al., 2017; Di Salvo et al., 2020). 

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However, Kirschbaum et al. (2019) demonstrated that the incorporation of biofertilizers and organic amendments helps the plant to be more efficient in the use of the applied fertilizer, preventing these from being lost through leaching that could contaminate underground water tables or volatilization into the environment, increasing the yield of the strawberry crop and allowing a reduction in the use of agrochemicals (Kirschbaum, 2022). 

In this context, the objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of applying a biofertilizer based on Azospirillum sp. on the yield of the potato crop, as a complement to conventional chemical fertilization.

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