APPLICATION RECOMMENDATIONS

As a sweet potato grower, you know quality is just as important as weight when your sweet potatoes get to the packhouse.

Of the “big three” nutrients, nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium, potassium plays the largest role in a full and healthy crop. Sweet potatoes need plenty of potassium, (~150-200 pounds per acre, as opposed to ~60 pounds of both nitrogen and phosphorus per acre). Although sweet potatoes don’t need very much nitrogen, there is still a balancing act with proper application. An over-application will result in foliage overgrowth, but a lack of roots and too little nitrogen will also minimize crop yield. A lack of phosphorus can result in stunted growth, further diminishing yield. Your requirements of each of these three essential plant nutrients will vary between different varieties of sweet potatoes.

Boron is more important in sweet potatoes than in most other crops, as it prevents blistering disorder. Boron (as well as manganese) is deficient in most soils in the coastal areas, so having these two micronutrients available in your fertilizer is crucial.