Badger Common’Tater August 2022 Issue
Prescription Crop Nutrition for Red Potatoes
Growers saw brighter, deeper red skin color, higher quality, and enhanced nutritional value
By Dan Peterson, regional agronomist for AgroLiquid
The LiberateCa/Micro 600 treated potatoes are on the right. Despite remarkable results in first-year field trials, continuing with additional research will be important. The author would like to expand his potato research in Wisconsin. If any members of the Wisconsin Potato & Vegetable Growers Association would possibly be interested in a field research project, he would love to have a discussion with you. Contact Dan Peterson at [email protected], or call 262-339-6843.
In Minnesota, two fresh market red potato growers tested a prescription AgroLiquid supplementation added to their conventional liquid in-furrow fertilizer.
For these wholesale growers, an appealing red color and skin quality is paramount, even more so than yield.
We determined that, for these growers, a combination of two of our AgroLiquid products, LiberateCa (protected soluble calcium) and Micro 600 (protected solution of sulfur, iron, and four micronutrients), had potential for improving red potato skin color and quality.
Side-by-side field comparisons were set up using the two cooperators’ conventional 10-34-0 in-furrow starter blend against the same rate of their 10-34-0 blended with 1 gallon/acre LiberateCa and 2 quarts/acre of Micro 600.
The results of this trial are that the LiberateCa/Micro 600 treated potatoes have a much brighter, deeper red color with smoother skin, and little to no scab, silver scurf, and other blemishes compared to the untreated potatoes.
In addition to the enhanced color and skin quality, the LiberateCa/Micro 600 treated potatoes were found to have significantly enhanced nutritional qualities—more protein, nutrient density, and essential minerals.
