Effects of absorbent in ploughed furrow on potato productivity and moisture retention in soil of loess hilly and gully regions in southern Fujian

A study was conducted in the loess hilly and gully regions in the southern Fujian to compare the effects of absorbent in ploughed furrow on the potato productivity and soil moisture content. The results showed that the application of a moisture retention agent significantly prolonged the potato growing period by 5 to 10d,as compared to the control. During the budding and harvesting stages,increasing amounts of the absorbent increased the biomass,tuber yield and size of the largest tuber,with fewer tubers.The moisture contents in the tuber-and-root-forming layers of the treated soil were slightly higher before the budding stage,but slightly lower when the leaves and stems began to wither,than those in the control. For a maximized potato production,the absorbent application at a rate of 60 kghm-2 was recommended for the ploughed furrow around the seed potatoes.With the application,the increase on net income was 3477.0 yuanhm-2 with a cost/return ratio of 1/2.93.