The present study was carried out during the rabi (winter) season of 2012–2013 and 2013–2014 at Adisaptagram Block Seed Farm, Hooghly, West Bengal to generate information on phenological changes and productivity of potato with varied nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (NPK) levels. Recommended dose of fertilizer (RDF) application for potato was 200, 150, 150 of N, P2O5, K2O kg ha−1, respectively. The experiment was laid out in randomized block design, having seven treatments, viz., T1 (50 % NPK), T2 (RDF: 100 % NPK), T3 (150 % NPK), T4 (100 % PK, N omission), T5 (100 % NK, P omission); T6 (100 % NP, K omission) and T7 (control, without NPK) with four replications. Results revealed that potato cv. Kufri Jyoti produced higher plant height, number of haulms hill−1 and compound leaves plant−1 when fertilized with higher dose of NPK (150 %), while plants without N produced lower dry weight of above ground biomass because of reduced above growth attributing characters. It appears that dry matter accumulation in potato plant was negatively influenced by N-deficiency and intensive N fertilization. The correlation studies between tuber yield and growth variable showed that the tuber yield was positively correlated with plant height (R2 = 0.97), number of compound leaves per plant (R2 = 0.89), LAI (R2 = 0.88), total dry matter (R2 = 0.89) and tuber bulking rate (R2 = 0.97). Tuber yields under N, P and K deficiencies were 8.46, 25.41 and 26.47 t ha−1, respectively. Result clearly proved that N is the most important nutrient for potato, followed by P and K.