Vegetables> Potato > Manuring & Fertilization

Nutrient requirement of potato crop is quit high and the application of fertilizers and organic manures is considered essential to obtain economic and high yields. In light soils and places where organic manures are not easily available, green manuring is beneficial. The optimum dose of fertilizer application varies greatly depending upon the soil type, soil fertility, climate, crop rotation, variety, length of growing season and moisture supply. A fertilizer dose of 180-240 kg N, 60-90 kg P2O5 and 85-130 K2O per hectare is recommended for alluvial soils of Indo Gangetic plains. In the hill zone, the application of 100-150 kg N, 100-150 kg P2O5 and 50-100 kg K2O per hectare is recommended. In black soils of plateau areas about 120-150 kg N, 50 kg each of P2O5& K2O is recommended. In the acidic soils of southern plateau 120kg N, 115 kg P2O5, and 120 K2O kg per hectare are recommended for potato production. Two third of N and entire dose of P and K is given at the time of planting. The balance N is given at the time of earthing up operation. The fertilizers are applied by band placement 5 cm away from the tubers. Ammonium sulphate and ammonium nitrate are usually the best fertilizers for potato followed by calcium ammonium nitrate, ammonium chloride and urea.