Potato - all articles

The number of potato tubers produced by each potato plant is influenced by agronomy and varietal potential. A large number of tubers per acre will produce a crop of predominately small tubers, ideal for gourmet fresh, salad or seed potatoes.

Tuber size and uniformity is critical for every market, whether it is fresh potatoes, seed or processing crops. Anything that the grower can do to prolong a healthy leaf canopy will increase the average tuber size.

Not all nitrogen sources are created equal, and supplying your potato crop with the correct nitrogen sources - like all aspects of plant nutrition - is a balancing act.

Skin finish is becoming more important as consumers increasingly demand potatoes with clean, attractive skins, particularly when buying fresh or table stock potatoes. Tubers with surface infections such as black scurf, silver scurf, powdery scab or common scab less attractive and are likely to have a reduced storage life.

Potato bruising is a serious problem in the potato industry and is a major cause of consumer complaint and an economic drain on the industry.Correct nutrition of the crop prior to harvest can minimize the risk of bruising occurring. Potassium calcium and boron have significant effects reducing tuber bruising.

Internal Rust Spot (IRS) also known as Internal Fleck, is a physiological internal defect in which small brown spots, due to cell death, appear in the tuber. Internal Brown Spot (IBS) is any spot contained inside the vascular ring in the medullary tissue.

Potatoes are one of the most important sources of starch worldwide. Variety choice is very important and potatoes with greater than 13% starch content are required in countries such as Germany. The higher the starch content, the lower the waste.

Dry matter content is important for both fresh markets and processing. Tubers with dry matter above 18-20% tend to be more susceptible to bruising and tubers disintegrate more readily when cooked.

Discoloration or internal blackening or browning of the tuber is responsible for significant post-harvest losses.It is caused by the oxidation of phenolic substances, mainly tyrosine to melanin. Potassium, magnesium and boron can all have effects on discoloration and blackening.

Nitrogen applications can have the effect of encouraging foliar diseases, particularly applications later in the season which delay maturity and increase the risk of blight infection.

Once the crop has been harvested the story does not end.

Soft rots are a range of warm weather bacterial diseases, usually Erwinia spp, that enter the tubers through mechanical damage and rots the tubers in storage.

When growing potatoes the aim of the grower is to produce a high-yielding, quality crop that matches the needs of the intended market.

Nutrients play essential roles throughout the growth cycle of a crop.

Nitrogen is important in fueling growth and providing high yields. It ensures optimal photosynthate production in leaves.

Phosphorus is important for early root and shoot development, providing energy for plant processes such as ion uptake and transport.

Potassium plays a key role in water relations and good overall plant health. Potato plants absorb large quantities of potassium throughout the growing season.

Calcium is a key component of cell walls, helping to build a strong structure and ensuring cell stability.

Magnesium plays a central role in photosynthesis, as it is present in the center of each chlorophyll molecule. It is also involved in various key steps of sugar and protein production as well as the transport of sugars in the form of sucrose from the leaves to the tubers.

Sulfur plays a role in nitrogen stabilization and amino acid and protein production.

Boron stabilizes calcium in the cell wall and acts in synergy with calcium to improve plant resistance to disease, pest and environmental stresses.

Copper is a constituent of enzymes involved in carbohydrate and protein metabolism and it serves as a catalyst in photosynthesis and respiration.

Iron is essential for chlorophyll formation and enzyme activation in plants.

Manganese plays a role in chlorophyll synthesis and it is a critical component in the chlorophyll molecule itself. It is also responsible for activation of plant enzymes.

The visual expression of molybdenum deficiency in potatoes depends on the level of the micronutrient within the seed tuber.

Zinc resembles manganese and magnesium in that it acts as a binding agent in enzymatic reactions. In this way it is important in protecting proteins from denaturing. Therefore, zinc has a major role to play in nitrogen metabolism and deficient crops will have lower levels of protein. Starch content is also affected by zinc.

Yara's crop nutrition programs for potatoes can help you to achieve excellent crop performance and maximize the yield and quality of all potato crops.