Surfactant-enhanced fertilizer coating improves nutrient use efficiency and yield in potato

Global potato production exceeds 380 million tons annually and continues to expand due to rising food demand and growth of the processing sector, increasing pressure on production systems to improve resource-use efficiency while minimizing environmental impacts. In India, where production is expected to increase further, improved nutrient management is essential to sustain productivity under climatic and environmental constraints. Potato production relies heavily on chemical fertilizers, raising concerns about nutrient-use efficiency (NUE) and environmental sustainability. This study evaluated the effects of a non-ionic surfactant soil adjuvant, Silwet Power, combined with varying NPK fertilizer levels on potato growth, tuber yield, nutrient efficiency, and carbon footprint. A 2-year field experiment (2021–2023) was conducted at ICAR–Central Potato Research Institute, Regional Station, Modipuram, India, using a randomized block design with eleven treatments and three replications. Treatments included full, reduced, and zero NPK fertilizer rates applied with or without Silwet Power. Data were analyzed using ANOVA with mean separation at P ≤ 0.05. Application of 75% of the recommended fertilizer dose (270–80–150 kg N–P 2 O 5 –K 2 O ha −1 ) combined with Silwet Power significantly improved plant growth, tuber yield, and Nutrient Use Efficiency compared to the recommended fertilizer dose alone. This treatment produced a 10.4% higher total tuber yield, enhanced agronomic efficiency and uptake of N, P, and K, increased process-grade tuber yield and size uniformity, and reduced the proportion of oversized and deformed tubers. The yield-scaled carbon footprint was reduced by 11.1%–25.3% relative to the recommended fertilizer dose owing to lower fertilizer input. The results indicate that surfactant-assisted fertilization can enhance fertilizer efficiency and sustain potato productivity under reduced NPK application, offering a promising strategy for sustainable potato production and contributing to climate-resilient nutrient management in intensifying potato-based systems in the future.