Potatoes

Crops nutrition

Potatoes are widely grown in the world. The result of potato cultivation is production of edible roots used for human consumption, either directly of cooked, or as food for farm animals. Tubers are often used as technical crops (for production of starch, alcohol, etc.). The program of potatoes growing, in addition to application of the necessary amount of mineral fertilizers, requires the use of micronutrients for foliar application or pre-sowing tubers treatment.
Micronutrients fertilizing promotes for great increase of quality and quantity indicators of crops. Lack of any micronutrient in plant feeding leads to development disorders and growth retardation; a plant may not able to form sound regenerative organs, bloom normally and give good crop. The need for micronutrients for this crops group can be expressed by the following examples. Studies show that deficiency of zinc and molybdenum negatively affects the mineral nutrition of plants: they develop stunted, the yields obtained from such plants are low (-7-16%). Manganese and boron deficiency leads to poor storability; the tubers are often affected by wet rot, especially with excessive nitrogen nutrition. Iron deficiency adversely affects synthesis and accumulation of chlorophyll, which affects the intensity of photosynthesis and production of carbohydrates, both assimilated and stored ones.
Use of fertilizers intended for fertilizing potatoes allows for prevention of various microelementosis diseases and correction of development disorders caused by micronutrient deficiency. It is important to understand the importance of preventive treatments.