Potassium Fertilization in Potato

Abstract

Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is one of the major vegetable crops of Nepal. Potato is grown all over the globe and consumed as either vegetable or staple food depending upon the crop production scenario. It is also an integral part of human diet. Potato is a high nutrient mining crop and needs higher fertilization for economic tuber production. Despite sufficient application of Nitrogen (N) and Phosphorus (P2O5), low replenishment and widespread potassium deficiency are limiting the potato production in Nepalese condition. Growth parameters such as plant height, leaf area and chlorophyll% was positively correlated with potassium application. Potassium alleviated stresses of frost and drought and reduced incidence of diseases like late blight, black scurf and hollow heart. Potassium also decreased the reducing sugar content and improved chips color and quality. Similarly, potassium application before harvest was found to increase storage life of potato tubers. Furthermore, potassium application significantly increased the yield of potato tubers and quality parameters such as Vitamin C content and specific gravity. Source of potassium and method of potassium application also affected growth, yield and quality parameters. Soil application of potassium in splits coupled with foliar spay was found to perform better. Optimum dose of potassium was recommended for economic tuber production.
 Int. J. Appl. Sci. Biotechnol. Vol 7(2): 153-160

Factors associated with soils suppressive to black scurf of potato caused by Rhizoctonia solani

“…Soil pH values in this study (5.5 to 7.6) did not have an obvious effect on the relative abundance of the main bacterial and fungal phyla or on the incidence of rhizoctonia stem canker and black scurf in R. solani-inoculated soils. Although several studies have reported that stem canker and black scurf of potato was favoured by low soil concentrations of N, P, K or Ca (Parmenter 1970;Tsror 2010;Bista & Bhandari 2019), this was generally not the case in our experiments. MB-C and MB-N were not correlated with black scurf disease suppression.…”

Response of Potato Cultivars to Different Potassium Sources

“…Lady Balfour cultivar (V2) showed significantly higher length of branches, weight of branches, leaf area and number of stems in both seasons, compared to the other cultivar. (Bista and Bhandari, 2019) reported that application of potassium increased leaf area and number of stems of potato. Among different sources of potassium, significant response was obtained, in both seasons.…”

“…In addition, the highest tuber length and diameter were showed with potassium humate (K3) compared with other sources of potassium. Bista and Bhandari (2019) showed that application of potassium increased potato yield. Abd El Latif et al, (2011), andNazali et al, (2018), reported that maximum potato tuber yield and quality of potato obtained by potassium fertilization and the highest significant potato yield was attained by high levels of potassium.…”

EFFECT OF CHOPPED RICE STRAW AND FOLIAR APPLICATION OF POTASSIUM AND PHOSPHORUS ON GROWTH, YIELD AND TUBEROUS ROOT QUALITY OF SWEET POTATO (Ipomoea batatas L.) GROWING AT LATE SUMMER SEASONS UNDER CLAY SOIL CONDITIONS

“…The revealed results are in agreement with those obtained by Byous et al, 2004, Saothongnoi et al,(2014 and Ahmed et al, (2015), who confirmed the beneficial effect of rice straw in growing media and a soil amendment which improve the physical and chemical properties of soil, consequently led to higher root zone than untreated plants and encourag vegetative growth. As for the role of potassium, El-Sawy (2011), Abou-El-Nasr and Ibrahim (2011), Jasim et al (2013), and Bista and Bhandari (2019) stated the essential importance of potassium for plant growth and development. Moreover, Barel(1975), Ekelof (2007) and Jasim et al (2013) emphasized the vegetative parameters of plants.…”

“…These results are going in line with those obtained by Islam et al, (1997) who demonstrated the best morphological parameters of sweet potato tuberous roots by used chopped rice straw in the furrow of ridge. In this respect, Romheld and El Fouly (1999); Abou El-Nasr and Ibrahim (2011); Thummanatsakum and Yamprach (2018) and Bista and Bhandari (2019) on potassium, as well as, Rosen and Bierman (2008) and Allison et al, (2001) on phosphorus who reported that foliar fertilizer either potassium or phosphorus caused an increases in tuber physical characteristics.…”