Potato morphology and dry matter partition in response to sampling time and K levels

Abstract

This study was conducted in order to evaluate potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) morphology and dry matter partition in response to sampling time, K levels and its residue. Six K levels (0, 60, 120, 240, 480 and 960 kg K₂O ha^-1) were applied in the field as potassium sulfate, in randomized blocks design, repeated four times. Baraka potato tubers were seeded spaced 0.8 x 0.3 m. Plants were sampled at 20 and 48 days after its emergence (DAE) to estimate leaf area, stem length, number and fresh and dry matter yield of leaf, stem and tuber, and dry matter content of leaf and stem. Only stem length increased with K fertilization, resulting in smaller overshadow of plant. In the first experiment, at 20 DAE, potato was presenting, in media, 42 leaves, three stems, 5,389 cm² of leaf area, 157.1 and 216.4 g of fresh matter of stem and leaf, respectively, and 6.2 and 9.2% of dry matter content of stem and leaf, respectively.