Healthy, productive and profitable potato crops require careful planning and care at key points throughout the growing season.
The current dry weather that we have all been experiencing across the country means that it is important that we build resilience against drought, the importance of potassium in crop water management forms the foundation of that process.
Tuber bulking is a critical period in a potato crop’s growth. During this time various issues can arise if crops are lacking nutrients at cell expansion, which can ultimately influence yield.
Potatoes are commonly grown in lighter, sandy soils, but these soils are at significant risk of nutritional deficiencies.
Sand particles bind very little nutrition, compared to clay and water drains freely, so they are more susceptible to nutrient leaching. This means crops in this situation could be struggling to source enough nutrients from the soil.
Therefore, in sandy soils, foliar fertiliser applications are a crucial component of the nutritional toolbox to avoid crop deficiencies which could impact on development and yield potential.
Potassium
Potassium is an important nutrient for potatoes throughout the growing season and potatoes need more of the element than any other commercial crop.
Potassium is essential for starch production and promoting the transportation of sugars from leaves to the tuber. It has also shown to reduce abiotic stresses as it is involved in plant water status control, including internal water flow and stomatal control.
Potatoes require a high volume of readily available potassium during tuber bulking however, the majority of soil potassium is generally in an unavailable form. Roots absorb available potassium from the soil solution, if soils are dry during bulking, uptake can be difficult and supply will fall short of crop requirement.
More importantly, severe potassium deficiency can cause internal tuber blackening and make tubers far more susceptible to bruising during handling.
KuruS® is easily tank mixed and contains both potassium and sulphur. It can be applied earlier in the season at tuber initiation, but importantly during tuber bulking.