Potassium, specific gravity and getting the balance right

Potassium is essential for many processes in both plants and the human body. If people want potassium, they most likely reach for a banana. However, the best source of potassium is actually the potato, with approximately 600mg per medium sized tuber.

Potassium (K) in the tubers needs to come from somewhere, so potato plants need a lot of K to thrive. Getting the right amount of potassium into the soil when and where the plant needs it is essential for maximum yield.

In Issue 05 of PotatoLink magazine, Marc Hinderager highlights the results of the PotatoLink demo in Canowindra (NSW) where he looked at high rates of K that could increase tuber-specific gravity, without inhibiting the uptake of magnesium and other essential nutrients.