Impact of Application of Two Types of Cyanobacteria and Various Levels of Drip Irrigation on the Productivity and Quality of Potato Crop

Water and minerals are the key inputs for potato productivity. Consequently, field experiments were undertaken over two seasons, 2022/2023 and 2023/2024, in sandy calcareous soil. The investigation comprises three irrigation levels (100% of crop evapotranspiration = ETc, 80% ETc, and 60% ETc) as the main factor and four treatments of algae extracts (control, Anabaena, Nostoc, and Anabaena + Nostoc). Results indicated that increased water scarcity considerably diminished potato tuber output. Potato plants subjected to algae extract exhibited superior performance relative to untreated plants. Moreover, Nostoc had the highest value among all algae extract treatments. In terms of the interaction effect, the application of algae extract mitigates the adverse effects of water scarcity. Cluster analysis of the measured data resulted in the grouping of the 80% ETc and 100% ETc irrigation regimes into the same cluster, indicating no significant difference. Furthermore, treatments utilizing diverse algae extracts were categorized within the same main group, whereas the Nostoc species was classified in an individual subgroup. The results indicated that the application of algae extract, particularly from the Nostoc species, improved water use efficiency and augmented irrigation water productivity of potato plants in shortage water conditions in sandy calcareous soil. The results indicated that utilizing algae extracts with an irrigation regime of 80% ETc could be useful for potato production enhancement while achieving a 20% reduction in water usage, thereby benefiting newly reclaimed land extension. This investigation provides valuable insights for sustainable agriculture in newly reclaimed land by employing eco-friendly and cost-effective methods instead of chemical fertilizers.