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

YaraMila ACTYVA S
15.6-14.6-14.6+ 6.5 SO3 - Granular fertiliser often used for grassland, winter cereals and oilseed rape to supply phosphate and potash together with nitrogen and sulphur.
YaraLiva TROPICOTE
15.5% N + 26.3% CaO - Granular calcium nitrate fertiliser for field application to a wide range of crops.
YaraMila MAINCROP
14-13.6-20.6 - Compound granular fertiliser ideal for potato crops where sulphur is not required.
YaraMila COMPLEX
12-11-18 + 20% SO3 - Prilled NPK fertiliser which also contains magnesium and sulphur as well as micronutrients ideal for use on a wide range of arable and horticultural crops.
YaraVita MANTRAC PRO
A flowable liquid micronutrient fertiliser containing 500 g/l of manganese for application as a foliar spray or seed treatment to a wide range of crops.
YaraVita MAGPHOS K
A liquid fertiliser containing a high concentration of phosphate together with potash and magnesium for foliar application to potatoes and other crops.
YaraVita MAGFLO 300
A flowable liquid fertiliser containing 300 g/l magnesium for foliar application to cereals and potatoes or treat magnesium deficiency in a wide range of crops.
YaraVita CROPLIFT PRO
A foliar fertiliser containing multiple nutrients and micronutrients for foliar application to a wide range of crops during times of stress or periods of rapid growth.
See all fertiliser choices

Related articles

How to reduce incidence of potato foliar diseases

How to reduce incidence of potato 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.
How to reduce the incidence of potato soft rots

How to reduce the incidence of potato soft rots

Potato soft rots are a range bacterial diseases that rot the tubers in storage. Correct crop nutrition prior to harvest, particularly calcium and boron has a positive effect against soft rots.
Potato crop nutrition programmes

Potato crop nutrition programmes

Yara's fertiliser recommendations and crop nutrition programmes for potatoes can help you to achieve excellent crop performance and maximise the yield and quality of all potato crops.

See all potato nutrition articles

Potato agronomy advice

Farmer on a potato field
Establishing potatoes successfully
As with any other crop, good nutrition is key to securing a healthy potato crop, one that will return good yield and high quality and ultimately achieve a better profit margin for you.
Agronomy Advice - Is your potato quality being let down by a lack of calcium?
Is your potato quality being let down by a lack of calcium?
Calcium is a vital nutrient for potatoes and most aspects of tuber quality can be improved by having a sufficient supply of calcium during growth.
Agronomy Advice - Increase potato yield with better phosphate management
Increase potato yields with better phosphate management
Ensuring sufficient phosphate is available for early development is critical in potatoes so perhaps it is time for a re-think about phosphate management.
See all agronomy advice

How to make better informed nutrient decisions

Our collection of tools help you to make better nutrient decisions in making the right fertiliser choice and applying the right amount of nutrients at the right time and in the right place so that the crop yield and quality can be maximised whilst still keeping costs in check, avoiding over-fertilisation and protecting the environment.

Analysis - recommended analysis suites for potatoes

Analysis - recommended analysis suites for potatoes
See all the farmer's toolbox