Correct balanced nutrition is critical to influencing tuber numbers. Phosphate, Potassium, and Calcium have all been shown to have effects on tuber numbers.
A large number of tubers per hectare will produce a crop of predominately small tubers, ideal for canning, salad or seed potatoes. A relatively low tuber number provides less competition per unit area and allows the crop's energy and resources to be used to produce larger potatoes for the fresh or processing markets.
Phosphate increases maximum tuber set
Phosphate availability at tuber initiation is important to ensure maximum tuber set, especially if tuber numbers need to be increased for certain varieties, or where the market demands a large number of smaller tubers
Other crop management practices influencing potato tuber numbers
- Selecting the right variety
- Minimising growth checks at tuber initiation (e.g. drought, compaction)
- Irrigating to maintain a good growing environment
- Physiologically ageing seed to produce the desired number of buds per tuber
- Spacing seed to ensure an optimum number of stems per square meter
- Using crop protection inputs - such as herbicides and nematicides - to ensure the crop grows relatively unhindered
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