Composition of Mineral Nutrients in Leaves of Potato (<i>Solanum tuberosum L.</i>) Cultivated on Farmers Field: The Case of Six Districts in West Shoa Zone, Ethiopia

Abstract

Plant nutrient deficiency could be one of the potential problems attributed to low potato productivity. The nutrient status of potato crop grown on  farmers’ field in six selected districts of West Shoa Zone, was examined. Leave samples collected at vegetative growth stage were analysed for various  nutrient contents (N, P, K, S, Mg, Ca, Zn, Mn, Cu, B, Mo). The leaf nutrient concentration (P, K, Mg, Ca, Zn, Mn, Cu, B and Mo) were determined using  Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrophotometer (ICPOES), whereas N, C and S were determined by CNS analyzer. Results showed that  the concentration of phosphorus and potassium in potato leaf did not vary much among the districts that ranged from 2.8 to 3.3 and from 31-35 mg/g  dry matter for P and K, respectively. About 97 and 75% of the surveyed fields showed P and K deficiencies in potato leaves, respectively. At 75% of the  surveyed fields, plants showed insufficient potassium concentration in the leaf when compared to the optimum range described in literatures. The  average nitrogen and sulphur concentration in potato leaf were also in a narrow range of 61-63 and 4.1-4.5 mg g-1 d.m, respectively for all the districts  and results obtained confirmed that plants were well supplied with N and S. Plants at all the surveyed fields of all the districts were also well supplied with  Ca and Mg, since no field showed insufficiency of these nutrients. The micronutrients concentrations in the leaf tissue were in the optimum range  and/or even above for most micronutrients.