Effect of organic amendments on soil fertility of organic potato crop

The objective of this study is to highlight the positive effect of compost amendment and to select the most promising doses for soil fertility giving the best yield. Five treatments including 4 doses of compost 10, 20, 30, 40 t ha(-1) and a control (0 t ha(-1)) were tested to study the evolution of the physic-chemical parameters of the soil fertility during the production cycle and to evaluate the yield and quality of organic potatoes. Organic matter (OM), electrical conductivity (EC), available phosphorus (P), potassium, sodium and calcium were soil fertility parameters analyzed and monitored. The soil EC has been increased compared to the initial value along with OM and P content. Concerning potato yield, the comparison between the doses showed that the dose of 40 t ha(-1) gave promising yield of 29.46 t ha(-1), whereas the other treatments yielded 28.06, 28.84, 26.96 and 25.63 t ha(-1), respectively for the treatments 10, 20, and 30 t ha(-1). The control resulted in a positive balance for a sandy soil under Mediterranean conditions due to rhizodeposition phenomenon.