Effect of Fertilisation with Ash from Biomass Combustion on the Mechanical Properties of Potato Tubers (Solanum tuberosum L.) Grown in Two Types of Soil

Abstract

The aim of the research was to determine the effect of fertilising with various doses of ash from biomass combustion (D2–D6) compared to control plots and classic NPK (D1) fertiliser on the morphological and mechanical properties of potato tubers (Solanum tuberosum L.). The field experiment was carried out in the years 2019–2021 (south-eastern Poland, 49°59′ N, 21°57′ E) on two types of soil: Gleyic Chernozem (silty loam) and Haplic Luvisol (silt). The values of mechanical parameters, such as the peel and flesh punching force (FD), deformation (DR) and energy (ED) needed to destroy the test sample, were assessed. The biometric features of the tubers were also assessed. It was found that tubers obtained from the experimental fields where D3 and D4 ash fertiliser doses were applied (corresponding to doses of 188 and 282 kg∙ha−1 K) had the highest tuber yields and the highest resistance to mechanical damage under quasi-static loads. Ash from biomass combustion can be an alternative to conventional mineral fertilizers and can be used in the development of mineral fertilization plans for sustainable agriculture, which will help to solve the problem of storage of this waste.