How to maintain potato health

Plant nutrients are predominantly associated with increasing yield and quality through ensuring no mineral deficiency is restricting growth and development.

However plant nutrients can also help the plant protect itself from disease. A well balanced nutrition programme will ensure that the plants cellular structure is robust and resilient, whilst avoiding excessive nutrient build up that can also be detrimental to plant health. There are numerous examples of nutrients being cited for their role in plant health, with nitrogen, potassium, manganese, zinc, copper and molybdenum being examples.

Foliar diseases

Nitrogen applications can have the effect of encouraging foliar diseases, particularly applications later in the season which delay maturity and increase the risk of blight infection.

Tuber diseases

Calcium is an important nutrient for preventing tuber diseases since by strengthening cell walls it also strengthens tuber skins so providing better resistance to many diseases. Boron enhances the effect of Calcium by improving uptake and so and can reduce levels of common scab and other tuber diseases, Zinc can minimise powdery scab Sulfur may reduce both powdery and common scab infection.

Recommended Yara fertilisers for potatoes

YaraVita ZINTRAC 700
YaraVita Zintrac 700 is a highly concentrated flowable zinc
YaraVita MAGFLO 300
YaraVita Hydromag Liquid is a highly concentrated flowable formulation contains almost 3 times more magnesium than epsom salts.
YaraVita BORTRAC 150
YaraVita Bortrac 150 is a concentrated liquid boron formulation manufactured to exacting quality control standards to guarantee consistent analysis, crop safety and product performance.
YaraMila 8-11-20
YaraMila (8-11-20) is a high quality, granular NPK product which also contains sulphur and micronutrients.
YaraMila COMPLEX
YaraMila Complex (12-5-15) is a high quality, prilled NPK product which also contains magnesium and sulphur as well as micronutrients.
YaraBela CAN-27
YaraBela CAN-27 contains 27% total Nitrogen, 50% in the nitrate form
YaraLiva NITRABOR
YaraLiva Nitrabor (15.5% N + 18% Ca + 0.3% B) is a high quality calcium nitrate product, with added boron, for field application.
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