A Complete Guide to the Correct Fertilization Methods for Potatoes

With the adjustment of the planting structure, more and more farmers are growing potatoes, but due to the influence of traditional fertilization practices, they use only farmyard manure and diammonium phosphate as base fertilizer for potatoes and do not apply topdressing. This fertilization method is unscientific. The average fertilizer application rate for potatoes in northern China is (pure nutrients) nitrogen 10 kg/mu, phosphorus 5 kg/mu, potassium 5 kg/mu, which converted into physical quantities is 300 kg urea per hectare, 150 kg of 64% diammonium phosphate, and 150 kg of 50% potassium sulfate. To obtain high-quality and high-yield potatoes, the following fertilization methods should be adopted during the growing process:

Base fertilizer

The base fertilizer is applied as high-quality farmyard manure combined with chemical fertilizer; all of the farmyard manure and phosphate fertilizer, 50% of the nitrogen fertilizer, and 70% of the potassium fertilizer are used as base fertilizer. The application method is furrow application or hole application before planting, with a fertilization depth of 15 cm.

Topdressing

Topdressing is divided into two applications:

① Seedling-preserving fertilizer, applied after full seedling emergence to promote stem and leaf growth; the application rate is 2/3 of the remaining nitrogen fertilizer. Application method: apply with water beside the plants.

② Tuber-promoting fertilizer, applied before the plants bush out and during the tuber formation stage; the rate is: 1/3 nitrogen fertilizer and 30% potassium fertilizer. Application method: band application or hole application, with a depth of 10 cm, to prevent fertilizer loss.

Potatoes are relatively sensitive to zinc fertilizer and boron fertilizer, so zinc and boron fertilizers can be applied by foliar spraying, with 50-70 kg of fertilizer solution per mu, sprayed once every 7 days, and 2-3 sprays are sufficient.