PHOSPHORUS AND MANGANESE INTERACTIONS AND THEIR RELATIONSHIPS WITH ZINC IN CHELATOR-BUFFERED SOLUTION GROWN RUSSET BURBANK POTATO

Manganese (Mn)- and zinc (Zn)-driven antagonistic interactions with high available phosphorus (P) can result in negative impacts on potato cropping systems. Two chelator-buffered hydroponic experiments were conducted with Russet Burbank potato to elucidate P and Mn relationships and associated interactions with Zn. In both experiments, a P concentration decline in new shoots, old shoots, and roots resulted as solution Mn changed from deficient to sufficient followed by a P concentration rise as solution Mn changed to excessive concentrations. New and old shoot Zn concentrations generally increased with augmented solution Mn in the variable Mn experiment, but no significant changes were found in root Zn contents. Available Mn was observed to control plant P concentrations and to influence Zn uptake and translocation; thus, Mn has considerable impact on uptake and distribution of P and Zn and on P-Zn interactions in potato.