Investigating the Possibility of Increasing the Quality of Potatoes (Solanum tuberosum L.) by Iron Nano Oxide Foliar Application

Alkalinity of the soil is one of the main problems in some soils of Iran, which reduces the solubility and reduces the absorption of essential nutrients, including the iron element for the plant. Iron deficiency in plants reduces photosynthesis and reduces production. The present experiment, as a factorial, was conducted in the form of a statistical design of complete randomized blocks and in 3 replications. The first factor including six levels of iron nano oxide fertilizer 0, 0.5, 1, 1.5 and 2 gram per liter and ordinary iron oxide in the amount of 2 gram per liter and the second factor including three stages of foliar application (vegetative growth period, beginning of tubing and tuber filling). The results showed that the application of iron nano oxide at the rate of 2 gram per liter compared to control treatment increased the amount of lysine in the tuber by 55 percent, the amount of methionine in the tuber by 45 percent, the amount of calcium in the tuber by 18 percent and the tuber yield by 7 percent. While the amount of phosphorus in the tuber was reduced by 34 percent with the application of 2 gram per liter of iron nano oxide. Foliar application of iron nano oxide significantly increased the amounts of methionine, potassium, and tuber yield at the time of tuber filling and beginning of tubing compared to the time of vegetative growth and the highest tuber methionine percentage with 0.34 percent, the most potassium content of tuber with 2.2 percent and the most tuber yield with 40 tons per hectare was acquired due to foliar application during tuber filling period. The percentage of protein, starch, and iron in the tuber increased with increasing the concentration of foliar application of iron nano oxide to concentrations of 1.5 and 2 gram per liter and in all levels of iron nano oxide, foliar application of fertilizer also increased the amounts of protein, starch and iron during the tuber filing. According to the results, since there was no significant difference among the iron nano oxide by concentrations of 1, 1.5 and 2 grams per liter in all studied traits, therefore, foliar application of iron nano oxide at a concentration of 1 gram per liter at the stage of tuber filling, which is more economical, is recommended.