Potatoes

Potatoes account for about 1.05 million acres of crops grown in the United States, with Idaho as the country’s leading producer. On average, one acre of produces between 24,500 to 61,000 pounds of potatoes at harvest.  

A potato crop is very susceptible to nutrient deficiencies due to its shallow and fibrous root system, which results in a loss of crop quality and reduction in overall yield. The highest demand for nutrients occurs during the bulking growth stage, with 60% of total nitrogen being consumed during the tuber initiation and bulking growth stages. Potatoes use more potassium than any other nutrient, even nitrogen. Potassium plays a pivotal role in yield, quality, and storability of potatoes. Utilize a complete crop nutrition program to maximize crop quality and yield at harvest.  

Use the descriptions below to diagnose nutrient deficiencies in your potato fields.