Growing potatoes. Foreign experience

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Potatoes are grown in temperate, subtropical and tropical conditions in more than 100 countries. This is in fact a “product of cool weather” and is the main limiting factor in temperature production: at temperatures below 10 ° C (50 ° F) and above 30 ° C (86 ° F) the growth of tuberculosis is prevented, with optimal yields. The average daily temperature is 18 to 20 ° C (64 to 68 ° F).

Therefore, potatoes are planted in temperate zones in early spring and in warm areas in late winter, and are grown in warm tropical climates during the coldest months of the year. In some subtropical highlands, mild temperatures and high sunlight allow farmers to grow potatoes year-round and harvest tubers 90 days after planting (in temperate climates, such as Northern Europe, this can take up to 150 days).

Potatoes are a very adaptable and adaptable plant, producing good yields without ideal soil and growing conditions. At the same time, it is exposed to a number of pests and diseases. To prevent the emergence of pathogens in the soil, farmers avoid growing potatoes there year after year. Instead, they grow potatoes at intervals of three or more years, replacing them with other similar crops such as corn, beans, and alfalfa. Crops prone to the same pathogens as potatoes (eg tomatoes) should be avoided to disrupt the development cycle of potato pests.

Good agricultural practices, including irrigation when necessary, can produce more than 40 tons of fresh tubers in four months after planting one hectare of potato in temperate climates of Northern Europe and North America. However, in most developing countries, the average yield is much lower - five to 25 tons - due to a lack of high quality seeds and a lack of improved seeds, reduced fertilizer use and irrigation, and pests and diseases.

Soil and soil preparation
Potatoes can be grown in almost any soil except saline and alkaline soils. Naturally loose soils with the least resistance to root expansion are preferred, and sandy and loamy soils rich in organic matter with good drainage and air are most suitable. Soils with a pH range of 5.2-6.4 are considered ideal.

Growing potatoes involves extensive preparation. The soil should be tilled until it is completely free of weed roots. In most cases, with frequent wrapping and loosening, three ropes are needed until the soil is comfortable: soft, well-drained, and well-aerated.

Planting
Potatoes are usually grown not from seeds, but from "seed potatoes" - small nodules or round pieces planted at a depth of 5 to 10 cm. Seed cleaning and healthy seeds are necessary for planting tubers. Muscle seeds should be disease-free, well-grown, and weigh 30 to 40 g each. The use of quality commercial seeds can increase farmers' yields by 30 to 50 percent compared to their own seeds, but the expected benefits should offset the high costs.

The planting density of a row of potatoes depends on the size of the selected roots, and the spacing between rows should allow for a good harvest (see below). Usually about two tons of seed potatoes are planted per hectare. In arid areas, planting on flat soils for rainfall yields high yields (due to soil water savings), and irrigated crops are mainly grown in the mountains.

Stages of development of agriculture
1. Plant seeds are sown

2. Vegetative growth

3. Muscle stimulation

4. Muscle bulbs

Crop care
During the development of the potato bed, which lasts about four weeks, weeds need to be controlled to give the crop a “competitive advantage”. If weeds are large, they should be removed before eradication can begin. Roasting (or “grounding”) involves loosening the soil between the rows around the main stem of the potato plant. Pumpkin keeps plants upright and loosens the soil, prevents insect pests from growing such tuber moth tubers, and helps prevent the growth of weeds.

Once applied to the soil, weeds are removed mechanically or with herbicides between the growing plants and at the top of the ridge. Drowning is carried out two or three times, every 15-20 days. The first should be done when the plants are about 15-25 cm tall; the second is often done to cover the growing tubers.

Manure and fertilization
The use of chemical fertilizers depends on the amount of nutrients available in the soil - for example, volcanic soils are usually deficient in phosphorus - and the demand for fertilizers in irrigated commercial production is relatively high. However, at the beginning of a new cycle, potatoes can benefit from organic manure - it provides a good nutritional balance and maintains soil composition. The need to fertilize plants needs to be accurately calculated based on the expected yield, the potential of the variety, and the intended use of the harvest.

Water supply
Soil moisture should be maintained at a relatively high level. For a good harvest, 120 to 150 days, the crop requires 500 to 700 mm (20 to 27,5 inches) of water. In general, water scarcity in the middle and end of the growing season reduces yields more than in the early period. When water supply is limited, water is used to increase productivity per hectare rather than on a large area.

Due to the shallow root system of potatoes, the yield against frequent irrigation is very high, and mechanized spraying systems produce a high yield that compensates for the loss of evapotranspiration once every 1-2 days. In temperate and subtropical climates, the average daily yield under irrigation is 120 to 25 tons (35-11 tons per acre) and 15,6-15 tons per hectare (25-6,6 tons). tropical regions.

Pests and diseases
A few basic precautions against disease - alternating plantings using wheat varieties and healthy, certified seed tubers - can help avoid major losses. There is no chemical control for bacterial and viral diseases, but they can be controlled by regular monitoring (and spraying if necessary) of their aphid vectors. The severity of fungal diseases, such as nocturnal pests, depends mainly on the weather after the first infection - the maintenance of favorable conditions without chemical spraying can spread the disease quickly.

Insect pests can cause destruction in the potato patch. Recommended control measures include regular monitoring and measures to protect against natural enemies of pests. Even the damage caused by the Colorado potato beetle, a major pest, can be reduced by destroying the beetles, eggs, and larvae that emerge at the beginning of the season, while sanitation, crop rotation, and the use of resistant potato varieties help prevent nematode spread.

Harvest
The yellowing of the potato leaves and the easy separation of the tubers indicate that the crop is ripe. If potatoes need to be stored instead of being eaten right away, they are left in the soil to allow their skins to thicken - thicker skins prevent storage diseases and shrinkage due to water loss. However, leaving the root in the ground for too long increases their resistance to the fungus, which is called a black scarf.

To facilitate the harvest, potato vines should be removed two weeks before potato harvesting. Depending on the scale of production, a potato-wrapped fork, plow, or commercial potato harvester digs up the plant and shakes or beats the soil from the tubers. Bruises or other injuries that provide access points for storage diseases should be avoided during harvest.

Save
Because freshly harvested tubers are a living tissue and can deteriorate, it is important to store them properly to prevent losses after the potatoes have been harvested for fresh consumption or processing, and to ensure adequate seed supply for the next planting season. .

Storage of potatoes for processing and processing is aimed at preventing the loss of "greens" (solanine, the formation of chlorophyll under the skin, which is associated with a potentially toxic alkaloid) and weight and quality. The root should be stored at a temperature of 6 to 8 ° C in a dark, well-aerated environment with high relative humidity (85% to 90%). The seeds are stored under diffused light to maintain their ability to grow tubers and to stimulate strong germination. In regions such as Northern Europe, where there is only one planting season and it is difficult to store tubers from one season to the next without the use of freezers, it may be possible to offer an off-season planting solution.