Potato mineral nutrition principles:

As the root system of potato needs a lot of oxygen during the tuberisation period, a light or medium soil with рН 5,5?6,0 is best. 

Because of some physiological peculiarities – poorly developed root system and the need for high removal of nutrition elements from a unit area – potato demands a lot of attention with regard to nutrition. 30 t of potatoes remove 160kg N, 60 kg of phosphorus and 300 kg of potassium from 1 ha.

Budding and flowering periods accompanied by the fast top growth and beginning of tuberisation are important in nutrition of potato as the plants consume the biggest amount of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium and the tubers’ gain reaches 5 c/ha.

• Potato is a potassium-hungry plant. Chlorine-containing potassium fertilizers inhibit starch accumulation in tubers and decrease its removal by 2-3%, therefore it is recommended to apply sulphate forms of potassium fertilizers, which increase the starch content in potato tubers by 0,5?0,6%.

Best time for application of mineral fertilizers to potato:

• Phosphorus fertilizers can be applied to potato in winter, during under-winter plowing as well as in spring during pre-sowing cultivation.
• In spring it is recommended to apply nitrogen fertilizers in doses corresponding to the planned harvest and 20-30 kg/ha of phosphorus and potassium under tubers (during planting or ridge splitting) in order to supply the plants with necessary nutrition at early stages of development.
• As to complex fertilizers, the fixed ratio (chlorine-free) NPK brands do best for potato. NPK 18?18?18 is the best fertilizer for potato. It is an effective efficient fertilizer one application of which supplies potato with all nutrition elements.
• On average, if chlorine-free NPK is used, the gain in tuber harvest is 14c/ha higher then with chlorine-containing fertilizers.

Standards and terms of application of mineral fertilizers produced by URALCHEM to reach the planned harvest, kg/ha:

After application of 60 t/ha of organic fertilizer.