Headline : Potassium and Potatoes: Understanding Fertilizer Crop Interactions

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For farmers and researchers, a field is often like a giant chemistry set. The timing and amounts of different fertilizers to supply nutrients can interact with each other, the soil, and crops.

For example, potassium, an essential macronutrient for crops, is often applied to a field in the form of potassium chloride. Potassium and nitrogen are the two nutrients that crops need in abundance. Past research has documented an uptake between chloride and nitrate, a form of nitrogen that crops take up. In crops like potatoes, which are high in potassium, chloride and other salts have been shown to reduce what is called tuber specific gravity.

Specific gravity is a quality evaluation metric used by the potato industry and higher specific gravity increases crop value. A lower tuber specific gravity means a potato will hold more water. While many potatoes are sold to make foods like french fries, more water in the potatoes means more time in the fryer to become crispy. Not only is this more expensive, but the fries may also absorb more fat during frying.

Potatoes emerging in mounded rows at the study site in Hermiston, OR. The study focused on examining the timing of potassium chloride absorption in potato fields. After potatoes are harvested, the stems and leaves are usually left in the field. This can increase the risk of elevated chloride in the soil, but is avoided by applying potassium chloride in the fall. Photo credit: Sarah Light

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