Benefits of potato fertiliser placement at planting

There are yield benefits from placing fertiliser at planting rather than broadcasting and from using compounds rather than straights as well as from optimising calcium, phosphate and zinc nutrition; here are some of the highlights from recent trials

Consistent yield benefit from placement of fertiliser at planting

Over the years Yara has carried out a large number of trials on the application of fertilizer to the potato crop, focusing on placement at planting. This has consistently given yield benefits, averaging 10.8% over 18 years of work. With continued legislation driving more efficient use of fertilizers such practices will become even more important. Applying fertilizer to the planted areas and not broadcast all over must be more acceptable from an environmental risk point of view. 

Application accuracy is a key focus for Yara, particularly in the potato sector. YaraMila compounds can bring benefits over straights for the delivery of nutrients to the crop, with a 7.8% yield increase over straights in a long-term trial at Hanninghof Research Centre. 

Maintain a green leaf canopy for longer to increase tuber size and yield

Recently Yara has also looked at the benefits of supplementing the basal nitrogen applications with foliar treatments. Additional nitrogen can be supplied using dilute applications of Nufol to help maintain a green leaf canopy and increase tuber size and yield . When compared with soil applied top-dressings significant improvements in nitrogen utilisation can be achieved, as we saw from this year results with an 8.3% yield increase. 

Other trial work carried out by Yara includes the benefits of calcium for tuber quality, foliar phosphate applications to improve tuber numbers and tuber size and just recently, the impact of zinc, where in 2014 a 1l/ha application of YaraVita Zintrac 700 lead to a 5% yield increase.