Digging Deeper: Exploring Slow-Release Fertilizers, Hydrosolubility, And The Response Dynamics In Potato Plants (Solanum Tuberosum L.) Cv. Gigant
Juan Martín Covarrubias
Campo Experimental “Saltillo”. CIRNE. INIFAP
Dr. Ricardo Alberto García
Especialidad de Edafología. IRENAT, Colegio de Postgraduados
Abstract
The evolution of fertilization practices in Mexican agriculture traces back to the nineteenth century when reliance on organic residues and green manures yielded crop outputs of less than 1.5 Mg ha-1. The transformative era of the 1950s marked the inception of the green revolution, marked by the adoption of improved seeds and a surge in agrochemicals and inorganic fertilizers. This revolution catalyzed a remarkable doubling of national average crop production (Núñez, 2001). The consequential surge in nitrogen fertilizer usage, while enhancing crop yields, concurrently escalated environmental concerns, notably nitrate pollution through leaching into underground aquifers. In the agricultural expanse of the Comarca Lagunera, nitrate levels soared to an average of 37 mg L-1 (Castellanos and PeñaCabriales, 1990). Similarly, the potato cultivation regions of Coahuila and Nuevo León experienced nitrate concentrations reaching 50 mg L-1 (Covarrubias and Contreras, 1997), and in the state of Guanajuato, levels reached 14.4 mg L-1 (Castellanos et al., 2001). This abstract delves into the historical trajectory of fertilization practices in Mexican agriculture, highlighting the pivotal transition from organic residues to the green revolution and its consequential impact on crop production and environmental challenges. A particular focus is placed on the surge in nitrogen fertilizer usage and its associated nitrate pollution in key agricultural regions of Mexico.