Artículos
Potato vegetative/generative growth balance
There are four distinct phenological stages in the life-cycle of the potato crop. They are: I.) Planting to emergence. II.) Emergence to tuber initiation. III.) Tuber initiation to tuber filling. IV.) Tubers filling to maturity. Each one of these stages is characterized by specific nutritional requirements, to accomplish the optimal development of the actual organs. Thus, the minerals and the photosynthates are optimally distributed between these organs. This allocation takes place thanks to a very delicate balance between the plant-growth hormones. The most noticeable mineral differentiation is between the allocation of the N-compounds and of the K-compounds, because a low K/N ratio implies shoot proliferation that needs N for protein production, while a high K/N ratio typifies tubers bulking up, because the carbohydrates transportation from the leaves to the tubers is enabled by high potassium.
