Plant Soil Environ., 2020, 66(2):86-92 | DOI: 10.17221/533/2019-PSE

Potato nutritional status at the onset of tuberisation - a yield prediction toolOriginal Paper

Karolina Frąckowiak^1,2, Jarosław Potarzycki^*,1, Witold Grzebisz¹, Witold Szczepaniak¹

¹ Department of Agricultural Chemistry and Environmental Biogeochemistry, University of Life Sciences, Poznan, Poland

² Yara Poland Sp. z o.o., Szczecin, Poland

A reliable tuber yield prognosis requires a complex statistical analysis of potato nutritional status in the fully developed 4^th leaf at the onset of tuberisation. This hypothesis was validated in the series of field experiments conducted in 2006-2008 in Poland. The experimental design was composed of two nitrogen (N) rates (60, 120 kg/ha), two N fertilisers (Urea and Agrotain), two rates of sulfur (0, 50 kg/ha). The marketable tuber yield of cv. Zeus ranged from 31.3 to 59.3 t/ha in 2008 and 2006, respectively. Despite annual variability, the potato presented a good nutritional status. In 2008, the contents of N, Mg, Cu and Zn were about 33% lower as compared to 2006. The stepwise and path analyses indicated N, Mg and Cu as the key yield-limiting nutrients. The diagnosis and recommendation integrated system (DRIS) showed that a slight imbalance of N and Mg did not disturb tuber yield, provided a positive balance of K was maintained. The Mg index, as a result of the DRIS procedure, emerged as the best single predictor of potato yield.

Keywords: Solanum tuberosum L.; leaves; macronutrient; micronutrient; nutrient status diagnosis

Published: February 29, 2020  Show citation