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Below is a potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) tissue nutrient sufficiency table by growth stage, including macronutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, sulfur), micronutrients (boron, copper, iron, manganese, zinc, molybdenum), leaf water content (LWC), and Brix values. These values are based on leaf tissue analysis (typically the youngest fully expanded leaf, often the 4th or 5th from the growing tip, including petiole) and are derived from agricultural research, such as guidelines from the University of Idaho, Michigan State University, and other potato-growing regions, adjusted for potato physiology.
Growth stages are categorized as
- Vegetative (emergence to tuber initiation)
- Tuber Initiation (early tuber bulking)
- Tuber Bulking (peak tuber growth)
- Maturation (senescence to harvest)
- Harvest
Nutrient concentrations are in percentages (%) for macronutrients and parts per million (ppm) for micronutrients, with LWC as a percentage of fresh weight and Brix (°Bx) as soluble solids in leaf sap.
| Growth Stage |
N (%) |
P (%) |
K (%) |
Mg (%) |
Ca (%) |
S (%) |
||||||
|
Min |
Max |
Min |
Max |
Min |
Max |
Min |
Max |
Min |
Max |
Min |
Max |
|
|
Vegetative |
4.00 |
5.00 |
0.30 |
0.50 |
3.00 |
4.00 |
0.30 |
0.60 |
6.00 |
1.20 |
0.30 |
0.40 |
|
Tuber Initiation |
3.50 |
4.50 |
0.20 |
0.40 |
2.50 |
3.50 |
0.30 |
0.60 |
0.80 |
1.50 |
0.20 |
0.40 |
|
Tuber Bulking |
3.00 |
4.00 |
0.20 |
0.40 |
2.00 |
3.00 |
0.30 |
0.60 |
1.00 |
2.00 |
0.20 |
0.40 |
|
Maturation |
2.50 |
3.50 |
0.10 |
0.30 |
1.50 |
2.50 |
0.30 |
0.60 |
1.00 |
2.00 |
0.10 |
0.30 |
|
Harvest |
2.00 |
3.00 |
0.10 |
0.30 |
1.00 |
2.00 |
0.30 |
0.60 |
1.00 |
2.00 |
0.10 |
0.30 |
|
B (ppm) |
Zn (ppm) |
Mn (ppm) |
Fe (ppm) |
Cu (ppm) |
Mo (ppm) |
|||||||
|
Min |
Max |
Min |
Max |
Min |
Max |
Min |
Max |
Min |
Max |
Min |
Max |
|
|
Vegetative |
20 |
40 |
20 |
50 |
30 |
100 |
50 |
150 |
5 |
15 |
0.10 |
1.00 |
|
Tuber Initiation |
20 |
40 |
20 |
50 |
30 |
100 |
50 |
150 |
5 |
15 |
0.10 |
1.00 |
|
Tuber Bulking |
20 |
40 |
20 |
50 |
30 |
100 |
50 |
150 |
5 |
15 |
0.10 |
1.00 |
|
Maturation |
20 |
40 |
20 |
50 |
30 |
100 |
50 |
150 |
5 |
15 |
0.10 |
1.00 |
|
Harvest |
20 |
40 |
15 |
40 |
20 |
75 |
30 |
120 |
4 |
10 |
0.10 |
1.00 |
|
LWC |
BRIX |
|||||||||||
|
Min |
Max |
Min |
Max |
|||||||||
|
Vegetative |
85 |
90 |
8 |
12 |
||||||||
|
Tuber Initiation |
82 |
88 |
10 |
15 |
||||||||
|
Tuber Bulking |
80 |
86 |
12 |
18 |
||||||||
|
Maturation |
75 |
82 |
8 |
14 |
||||||||
|
Harvest |
70 |
75 |
8 |
12 |
||||||||
Scanning Recommendation:
- Ensure that over 25% of the scan bed is covered with a single layer of vegetation.
- Leaf selection should be similar to this illustration.
