Spain (Castile and León): Biostimulants are being used to make seed potatoes more sustainable.

Castile and León is a national benchmark for potato cultivation, notable for its significant socioeconomic importance in the region, both due to its excellent adaptation to the climate and soil, and its role in irrigated farms. It is also notable for the importance of the industries processing this tuber, both fresh produce and chips and snacks.

Biostimulants

Given the need to improve the sustainability and competitiveness of agriculture, it is essential to optimize the use of nutrients and water. The use of traditional fertilizers is one of the main contributors to agriculture’s carbon footprint. Therefore, fertilizer manufacturing companies are working on more sustainable technological solutions with a lower environmental footprint.

Likewise, the agricultural sector, seeking to become more productive, efficient, and sustainable, is incorporating new products such as biostimulants and biofertilizers. These biostimulants stimulate plants’ natural processes, improving the absorption and efficiency of applied nutrients and increasing their availability in the soil, thereby increasing both yield and final product quality.

In the 2024 campaign, the Agrarian Technological Institute of Castilla y León has conducted a trial in two locations, Mave (Palencia) and Montorio (Burgos), to evaluate the effect of using five commercial biostimulants on the productive yield of seed potatoes.

Growing conditions

In the 2024 crop year, it can be noted that the abundant rainfall in May forced a delay in planting. Furthermore, the temperatures in that month, with minimum temperatures below zero and maximum temperatures above 27°C, combined with the high rainfall in October and, to a lesser extent, September (Figures 1 and 2), significantly affected the harvest, resulting in significant losses and reduced yields.

Before planting, soil samples were taken at both locations. The results obtained at Mave indicate that the plot has a sandy loam texture, a very basic pH (pH >8), and an average organic matter content of over 2%, higher than the average for soils in Castile and León. Nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus contents are very high, and the soil has a good C/N ratio, indicating a high decomposition capacity of the organic matter.

In Montorio, the results indicate that the plot has a sandy texture with an acidic pH, except for one area. The organic matter content is low (<1%). The nitrogen content is low, the phosphorus content is slightly high, and the potassium content is average. The C/N ratio is high, which means that the organic matter has a low decomposition capacity.

The trials were planted in early June in both locations, and harvested in late October. In all cases, the crop was kept free of pests and diseases by applying the recommended phytosanitary treatments for seed potato cultivation.

Fertilization

Base and top dressing were applied throughout the plot. The biostimulant trial was conducted in 60 m2 plots with 6 replicates, using a randomized block design. The biostimulants were applied individually to each microplot using a treatment backpack. For each treatment, the following were applied:

T1: TANKAT/TRCH 01,3 (Fertiberia) 3,7 kg/haT2: Blue N (Corteva) 0,333 kg/haT3: EMEORO (Timac Agro) 2 kg/haT4: AMINOVIT VIGORIÓN (Fertinagro) 4 kg/ha BULTE: NOTE 55) kg/haT6: Control treatment without biostimulant application.

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