Potatoes were introduced to Sri Lanka in 1850 from South America. Large-scale potato cultivation began in 1951 but failed due to pests and diseases. Potatoes were successfully cultivated starting in 1959 at research centers. Now potatoes are a major crop in Sri Lanka, especially in central highlands, Kalpitiya, and Jaffna. Potatoes require ridged fields, certified seed potatoes, fertilization, irrigation, weed control, and harvesting when leaves yellow. Diseases and pests threaten the crop but can be managed. Potatoes are stored and then used for many dishes or processed as chips, sweets, or starch.

1. Group No:03
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2.  History and Origin
 Originate in Andees mountain range of South
Africa
 Maya and Inca nations had introduced potato
as an edible food to the world
 It was introduced to Sri Lanka in 1850 by
Samuel Baker who is an Englishman
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3.  Potato had been cultivated as large scale
cultivation in 1951-1952 at Rahangala research
station by department of Agriculture
 But it was failed due to pest and disease attacks
resulted by poor management practices
 Then it was again cultivated in Sri Lanka in 1959
by SUMLABI potato research center and 1961 by a
scientists came from Western Germany
 After 1970 it has became the major crop n Sri
Lanka
 It was limited to Central hills at that time
 But it has become a popular crop in areas like
Kalpitiya and Jaffna
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4.  Present status and the potential uses
75% of countries of the world cultivate potato. It
is in 4th place of staple foods of peoples
1.Wheat
2.Zea Maize
3.Paddy
4.Potato
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5. 
Kingdom: Plantae

(unranked): Asterids

Order: Solanales

Family: Solanaceae

Genus: Solanum

Species: Solanum tuberosum
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6. 6

7. Stem
 Stem is consisted of stem, runners and tuber.
It grows as a single stem for few time and
then divided into branches.
 1-9 suckers are emerged in one plant.
 Stem divides into 3 categories based on
height of the plant and flowering
 short(less than 45cm)
 Moderate (45-60 cm)
 tall(greater than 60cm
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8. Bud
 Mainly two parts
 Growth of buds is affected by the storage
conditions of seed potato.
 Basel parts are at under the soil and therefore
both runners and tubers are developed.
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9. Leaf
 Potato has compound leaves.
 It has prominent mid rib and it is also divided
into leaflets.
 Leaf I important to identify variety
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10. Flower
 Flower is an inflorescence axis is first divided
into two.
 White and purple colour petals are closely
arranged and made a corolla.
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11. Tuber
 This is a modernized stem or an expanded
runer.
 It has uds/eyes same as a general stem.
 One or more buds may be in one eye.
 Tubers not only store food as well as act as a
planting material.
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12.  Varieties depend on,
 Shape of the tuber
 Shape of the eyes
 Size of the tuber
 Texture of the peel
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13.  Features of tubers
 Shape-round
 Outer colour-white
 Inner color-cream
 Shape of the eyes-deep
 Sucker-redish purple colour
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14.  Shape-long and oval shape
 Outer colour-white
 Inner color-creamy
 Shape of the eyes-moderate
 Sucker-purplish green color and fibers are
low
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15.  Shape-round and oval shpe
 Outer colour-white
 Inner colour-white
 Shape of the eyes –shallow
 Sucker- Reddish purple color and equal size
fibbers
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17.  Land Preparation
 Soil is turned upto 30-40 cm depth and make
into fine texture
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18.  Lime is added when the soil is acidic in first
land preparation.
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19.  Making Ridges and Furrows
 Drains are prepared a spacing between two
drains is 60 cm and depth is 20-25 cm.
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20.  Ridges and furrows are prepared in contour
lines to reduce soil erosion in steep lands.
 Lengths of the ridge can be decided based
on the location of the field and the easiness
of maintenance.
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21. Selection of planting materials
 Tubers with 28-55 diameter and free from
pest and disease attacks are selected.
 Therefore planting materials should be
bought from a credible place.
 Confirmation on type of planting material is
must when buying.
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22.  Remove the apical bud and keep for two
weeks to grow axillary buds if only apical bud
is on the seed potato.
 Removal of bud is done only one time and
then those can be used to plant
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23. Field Planting
 Selected seed potatoes are put on furrows as
suckers are in upward.
 Then the seed potatoes are covered with soil
of the ridges.
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24.  Spacing and seed potato requirement:
Interow spacing is 60cm and intrarow spacing
is 25 cm and therefore 2-2.5 tones of seed
potato are required for one acre (2500kg
acre).
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25. Fertilization
 Fertilization can be done in two ways.
 Use of chemical fertilizer and organic
fertilizer together is given better results.
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26. 1)Organic matter
I. Cattle manure (decayed) 0-12 tones/ha
II. Poultry manure 5-6 tones/ha
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27. 2)Chemical fertilizer
• Typical Application Rates:
• Nitrogen: 125 – 150 kg / ha
• Phosphorous: 125 – 150 kg / ha
• Potassium: 250 – 300 kg / ha
• 10:10:20 or 7:6:17 Sulphate of Potash are ideal for
potatoes
• Fertilizer should be applied prior to sowing
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28.  Earthing up
 Earthing up is done 3-4 weeks after planting.
 Suckers developed in to plants which produce
tubers are growing in this period.
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29.  Irrigation
 Potato can withstand drought condition but
adequate amount of irrigation is required for
better growth and yield.
 However limitation of irrigation is required
when harvesting. Irrigation should be done to
wash away the dew on the leaves
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30.  Weed Control
 Glyposet is used to destroy weeds at land
preparation.
 Weeding is not commonly practiced in potato
cultivation.
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31.  Potato blight – a fungal disease which can
affect plants in humid weather
 Blackleg – a bacterial disease which thrives in
wet conditions
 Gangrene – fungal
 Common scab – bacterial disease which
thrives in soils with high pH
 Potato mosaic – viral disease spread by
aphids
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32. • Wireworms – can eat into tubers, common
after grass, prevented using poison baits
• Slugs – eat into tubers, high numbers during
wet summers, killed using slug pellets
• Aphids – eat plant and carry viral diseases,
controlled using insecticides or ladybirds
• Potato nematode and eelworms – eat into
tubers, controlled by crop rotation
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33.  Crop is ready to harvest when 80% of leaves
become yellowish color.
 Removing of shoots from the ground level
enhance the maturity in up country areas.
 Tubers are suitable to harvest if peel is not
loosen when compress by fingers.
 Damaged and undamaged tubers are graded
after harvesting.
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34.  Packaging and storage
 Damaged and diseased tubers are sorted out
prior to storage.
 Potato is stored as layers less than 2 tuber
thickness in a dark room with better
ventilation.
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35.  Duchesse
 Lyonaise
 Pomme anna
 Boulangere
 Gratin dauphinoise
 Baked
 Fondant
 Macaire/ Croquette
 Boiled
 Mashed
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36.  Potato chips
 Sweets
 Potato Starch
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37.  N.D.G.A CHINTHAKA UWU/EAG/13/0005
 M.M.B.S.SILVA UWU/EAG/13/0035
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