Effect of Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Zinc Placement on Yield and Composition of Potatoes1

Field experiments showed that the method of placement of fertilizers was crucial for potato production. Uptake of N, P, and Zn, when these nutrients were broadcast and disked, was not significantly different from the uptake when no fertilizer was applied to the soil under furrow‐irrigation and the semi‐arid conditions of the San Luis Valley of Colorado. Banding proved to be a more efficient method of applying fertilizers to potatoes. Nitrogen increased P and Zn uptake. Phosphorus reduced Zn uptake and Zn reduced P uptake. Application of P and Zn in separate bands in the soil did not seem to reduce the antagonistic interactions between these two elements.