Abstract
Chemical composition of potato stem, petiole and leaflet were evaluated in response to the application of K fertilizer. Potassium was applied at six different rates (0, 60, 120, 240, 480 and 960 kg ha-1 of K2O), as K2SO4 and was placed in the furrow during planting. Two plants per plot were sampled 48 days after plant emergence to evaluate N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S, Cu, Mn and Zn concentrations in stems, petioles and leaflets of the youngest fully expanded leaf. It is recommended using potato petioles to evaluate the N, P, K, Ca, Mg and Cu status and using potato leaflet to evaluate the S, Mn and Zn status. The stem was not a good indicator of S nutritional status. Petiole N, P and Cu concentrations associated with the maximum tuber yield (30.5 t ha-1, with 353.4 kg ha-1 of K2O) were 25.9 g kg-1, 1.4 g kg-1 and 9.7 mg kg-1, respectively, while, the leaflet S, Mn and Zn concentrations associated with the maximum tuber yield were 4.0 g kg-1, 155.2 mg kg-1 and 59.4 mg kg-1, respectively. This information should be used to build data banks of adequate nutrient concentration at different portions of potato plant and like this, to aid the nutrient diagnosis in potato crops.
Highlights
Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.), a staple food in many countries (McLaughlin et al, 1994), is an important crop in Brazil, cultivated on 170,800 ha (FNP Consultoria & Comércio, 1998) with increasing commercial importance (Campora, 1994)
Among the nutrients usually used for potato fertilization, K is of great importance since it is the nutrient taken up in the greatest quantity by the potato plant (Perrenoud, 1993), it is needed for sugar translocation, starch synthesis (Reis Jr & Fontes, 1996) and to promote high potato tuber yield (Westermann et al, 1994b) of good quality (Westermann et al, 1994a)
Significant response to potassium fertilizer was observed for potato tuber yield, reaching the maximum of 30.5 t ha-1, with 353.4 kg ha-1 of K2O (Fontes et al, 1996)
Summary
Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.), a staple food in many countries (McLaughlin et al, 1994), is an important crop in Brazil, cultivated on 170,800 ha (FNP Consultoria & Comércio, 1998) with increasing commercial importance (Campora, 1994). Brazilian potato tuber yield is low, around 14 t ha-1 (Fontes et al, 1996). Several factors are related to this low yield and the potato nutrition is one of them. The potato crop receives high levels of fertilizers. Among the nutrients usually used for potato fertilization, K is of great importance since it is the nutrient taken up in the greatest quantity by the potato plant (Perrenoud, 1993), it is needed for sugar translocation, starch synthesis (Reis Jr & Fontes, 1996) and to promote high potato tuber yield (Westermann et al, 1994b) of good quality (Westermann et al, 1994a). The need of K fertilizer could be high, the elevated input of this nutrient can cause some problems, as undesirable nutrients interactions for example.
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