The Institute of Soil Science and Agrochemistry offers consumers recommendations on the effective use of fertilizer for spring sowing crops “Technological features of the use of fertilizers for potatoes” under an outsourcing agreement and is looking for partners interested in concluding a distribution services agreement.

In shaping the yield of agricultural crops, the level of achieved soil fertility and the application of mineral fertilizers, differentiated by taking into account the state of agrochemical indicators of soils, are of decisive importance.

It is very important in the fertilizer application system to follow the recommended doses and ratios of mineral nutrition elements - nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. For a number of reasons, it can be difficult to meet these requirements in practice. This issue can be resolved through the widespread use, instead of simple forms, of complex forms of mineral fertilizers, balanced in composition, taking into account the biological characteristics of individual crops or groups of crops. Such forms of fertilizers were developed by scientists from the Institute of Soil Science and Agrochemistry together with the Belarusian State Technological University, and industrial production is carried out at the Gomel Chemical Plant. The widespread use of complex mineral fertilizers can be a breakthrough that will help to significantly increase the efficiency, productivity, and quality of crops without increasing the overall need for mineral fertilizers.

The most effective potato fertilization system is organo-mineral. Organic fertilizers (40-60 t/ha) are best applied in the fall under plowing or under the previous crop. When harvesting organic fertilizers in spring and summer, their quality significantly improves; the temperature in the piles reaches 35-40 degrees, which contributes to the almost complete death of the weed seeds contained in them. The efficiency of spring application of organic fertilizers is significantly lower compared to autumn. All mineral fertilizers for potatoes must be applied in calculated doses in the spring. The best form of mineral fertilizers is a complex fertilizer for potatoes; in its absence, simple forms can be used: ammonium sulfate or UAN, amorphous, and potassium chloride. Calculated doses of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium are applied in the spring before planting potatoes in one go.

The maximum permissible dose of nitrogen against the background of organic fertilizers should not exceed 120 kg/ha a.i. This amount of nitrogen against the background of organic fertilizers is sufficient to obtain, under favorable weather conditions and an appropriate system of plant protection from weeds, diseases, and pests, a yield of 400-500 centners of tubers per hectare and the amount of nitrates within the MPC.

When cultivating potatoes on sod-podzolic sandy and sandy loam soils, fertilizing with nitrogen (20-30 kg/ha a.i.) is allowed at a bush height of 15-20 cm. The first treatment against late blight of potatoes during this period can be combined with foliar fertilizing with boron at a dose of 100 g/ha a.i., which significantly increases the yield of tubers and ensures a reduction in nitrates in them. The best form of microfertilizer for potatoes is MicroStim-boron, or other microfertilizers containing boron in a biologically digestible form.

Recommendations “Effectively apply fertilizers for spring sowing crops” can be downloaded here. (in Russian).

The system for applying fertilizers to agricultural crops, developed by the Institute of Soil Science and Agrochemistry and implemented in annual plans for the use of fertilizers, provides for a reduction in doses of mineral fertilizers on soils with a higher content of phosphorus and potassium at the same planned yield.

The Institute of Soil Science and Agrochemistry is the only scientific and methodological center in the republic for soil and agrochemical research, responsible for the development of theoretical and applied aspects of the protection and reproduction of soil fertility. Soil and agrochemical research of the institute determines the long-term perspective for the work of the agricultural authorities of the republic in the field of effective use of soil resources, preservation and increase of their fertility, and effective use of chemicalization means.

The main directions of scientific and scientific-technical activities of the organization are:
- rational use of soil resources, assessment and reproduction of soil fertility;
- monitoring of soil fertility, optimization of agrochemical properties of soils;
- development of effective resource-saving technologies for the use of macro- and microfertilizers for agricultural crops;
- agrochemical methods for improving the quality of crop products, balanced in chemical composition and content of microelements;
- development of new forms of environmentally acceptable complex fertilizers and biological preparations, balanced in composition, taking into account the properties of soils and the biological characteristics of agricultural crops;
- development of an energy-saving system for the protection of arable soils in areas prone to water and wind erosion and comprehensive soil protection organization of the territory;
- a study of the composition and properties of soils, patterns of their distribution, classification, diagnostics, mapping, and cadastral assessment;
- study of agrophysical properties and biological activity of soils, development of methods for their improvement. Creation of a data bank of agrophysical properties of soils in Belarus;
- study of patterns of manifestation and monitoring of erosion processes on arable soils, development of techniques for the rational use of eroded and erosion-hazardous soils. Design of anti-erosion systems in different landscape zones;
- monitoring the state of soil fertility in the Republic of Belarus and developing comprehensive agrochemical measures to improve it. Creation of a data bank of agrochemical properties of soils in Belarus;
- study of the biological properties of the main soil varieties depending on the levels of application of chemicalization agents and the development of methods for increasing them;
- study of the humus regime of soils, the intensity of humification and mineralization processes at various doses of organic fertilizers;
- study of the balance of macro- and microelements in the main soil varieties in stationary lysimetric experiments;
- development of resource-saving technologies for the use of organic, mineral macro- and microfertilizers for agricultural crops for the main soil varieties based on the principles of preserving and increasing soil fertility;
- development of new forms of complex macro- and microfertilizers for agricultural crops and recommendations for their effective use;
- assessment of the quality of plant products depending on the condition of the soil and the agricultural technologies used.

Since 1967, after the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, the institute became a methodological developer of radiological surveys of soils in areas contaminated with radionuclides.

The institute has created a computer data bank of agrochemical properties of soils, in which, since 1980, data on the state of agrochemical indicators has been accumulated, which are updated in accordance with the rounds of large-scale agrochemical surveys of soils. The data bank is used to evaluate the results of an agrochemical survey of soils, develop plans for the use of fertilizers for agricultural crops in fields and working areas, design estimates for liming acidic soils, and measures to increase soil fertility.

Consumers interested in purchasing recommendations for the effective use of fertilizers for spring sowing crops "Technological features of the use of fertilizers for potatoes" under an outsourcing agreement.

Partners interested in purchasing recommendations for the effective use of fertilizers for spring sowing crops "Technological features of the use of fertilizers for potatoes" under a distribution services agreement.