Effects of NPK (17-17-17) and Farmyard Manure on Soil Chemical Properties, Growth, and Yield of Irish Potato in Volcanic Soil of Musanze District, Northern Rwanda

Niyigena Alphonse, Kwizera Emmanuel and Rukangantambara Hamudu
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Niyigena Alphonse: Department of Soil Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Institute Pertanian Bogor (IPB) University, Indonesia.
Kwizera Emmanuel: Department of Soil Science, Faculty of Agriculture and Food Science, University of Rwanda, Rwanda.
Rukangantambara Hamudu: Department of Soil Science, Faculty of Agriculture and Food Science, University of Rwanda, Rwanda.

Journal of Scientific Reports, 2026, vol. 12, issue 1, 49-62

Abstract: Irish potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is an important crop in Rwanda, yet its production is low as the soils have low fertility and farmers do not use the required fertilizers optimally. The research problem of this study was to determine the effect of farmyard manure (FYM), NPK (17-17-17) fertilizer, and a combination of these two factors on the chemical properties of soil, growth, and yield of Irish potato in the volcanic soil of Musanze district, Northern Rwanda. It was a randomized complete block design (RCBD) that had four treatments, namely control (T0), farmyard manure (T1), NPK (T2), and a combination of FYM and NPK (T3), with three replicates each. The growth parameters (plant height, the number of leaves, stem diameter, and the number of tillers) and the yield data were measured, and the soil chemical analysis was conducted before and at the end of the experiment. Findings indicated that the numerical values of tuber number (14.66 tubers per plant) were the greatest using the combined application of farmyard manure and NPK (T3), with an additional finding of 12.65 tubers per plant using farmyard manure alone (T1). The analysis of the soil showed that farmyard manure and its mixture with NPK enhanced the organic matter content (up to 6.8%) and pH level. Treated plots also had increased total nitrogen and available phosphorus, whereas the control plot had the lowest performance in most of the parameters. The results imply that organic and inorganic fertilizers can be blended to enhance soil fertility and crop production, which is a permanent solution to the Irish potato production in Rwanda. The research suggests combined nutrient management through a regular soil test to maximize the use of fertilizer and maintain long-term soil health.

Keywords: Irish Potato; NPK 17-17-17; Farmyard manure; Soil properties; Growth; Integrated nutrient management (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
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DOI: 10.58970/JSR.1154

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