Technical Abstract: Plant nutrition is the practice of providing to the plant the right nutrient, in the right amount, in the right place, at the right time. This paper gives an overview of the roles that each of the sixteen essential nutrients have in plant nutrition, their relative mobility as related to deficiency symptom expression, and what is generally known about nutrient responses to field application on potatoes (Solanum tuberosum L.) in the U.S. and Canada. Maintaining high crop yields with minimum nutrient losses to the environment is and will continue to be a significant challenge to the potato producer. Additional nutritional research efforts in genetic modified plants, precision agriculture, food quality and safety, fertilizer impurities, and other management concerns should significantly help the producer in this effort.