- Potato is the fourth major food crop worldwide after rice, wheat and maize. It is a good source of carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins and minerals. - India is the second largest producer of potatoes globally. The major potato producing states are Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar, Assam, Punjab and Gujarat. - For successful potato cultivation, appropriate variety selection, soil preparation, planting, irrigation, fertilizer application, pest management and harvest are required. Proper agronomic practices are needed to achieve optimal yield.

2. Submitted By:
Aal Jigarkumar M.
M.Sc. Horticulture in
Fruit science (1St Semester)
Submitted To:
Dr. V. I. Joshi
Assistant Research Scientist,
Main Vegetable Research Station,
A.A.U., Anand. 388110
PACKAGE OF PRACTICES OF
POTATO

3. 3

4. Potato is the fourth major food crop after rice, wheat and maize in the world.
It produces high dry matter, balanced protein and high calories/unit area/ unit
time.
Potato tubers contain vitamin-C (17 mg/100 g) and vitamin-B.
It provides carbohydrates, minerals and fibre. The protein is as comparable to
that of milk and egg.
The crop is of short duration and fits well in intensive cropping system.
INTRODUCTION
4

5. The centre of origin of potato is the central region of South America.
Evidence indicates that potatoes were cultivated for centuries by South
American Indians and the tubers were used as common food
The Spanish people brought potato from Peru to Spain in 1565.
Sir Francis Drake probably brought it to England around 1586.
Potato was introduced to India from Europe in the beginning of the seventeenth
century, probably by the Portuguese.
5
Origin and History

6. China ranks first in area and production followed by Russian Federation,
Ukraine, Poland and India. India ranks fifth in area and production.
Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal are the major potato producer states in the
country.
Potato ranks first in share of area as well as in production
India occupies → 2nd Position in area & production in the world
The China → World leader in P’n (45.7 MT/ha)
U.P is the major producer of potato (24 MT/ha)
The highest productivity is in west bengal (24 mt/ha) followed by Gujarat (22.6
MT/ha)
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Area and Distribution

7. It was identified as Food for Future by Food and Agriculture Organization,
Rome during the year 2008.
India is the second largest potato producing country in the world. During the
year 2015-16, India produced 43.41 million tones of potato from an area of
2.11 million ha with an average productivity of 20.6 t/ha.
Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar, Assam, Punjab and Gujarat are the major
potato producing states of the country.
Potato is going to play a major role in providing food and nutritional security
to Indian farmers in near future. Although, India is a leader in potato
production under subtropical conditions but there are many challenges before
us to increase the production and productivity of potato especially in plateau
and hilly regions of the country
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Conti…

8. 8
Potato is Known as King of Vegetable
Botanical Name Solanum tuberosum L. Carolus Linnaeus
Genus Solanum
Species 7 cultivated + 154 wild
Commercially important spp 2 species (Solanum tuberosum and Solanum andigenum)
Origin South America
Family Solanaceae
Species 2000 → 235 (Tuber bearing)
Edible part Tuber
2n 4x=48 (Basic chromosome No. is 12)
Mode of reproduction Vegetative propagation
Area and Production (2013-14) (Source: NHB database)
Area
IN '000 Ha
P’n
(IN '000 MT)
Area share % Production Share %
India 1973.2 41555.4 21.0 25.5
Gujarat 73.6 2267.4 - -

9. LEADING POTATO PRODUCING STATES (2013-14)
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10. Basically a crop of temperate region, fast growing, short duration, cash crop,
high yield potential
Grown almost all the states except Kerala.
Cool/winter/Rabi season crop or summer crop.
Tuberization → At stolon tips/ends
Semi-Hardy crop
Very Low respiration rate (<10 mg CO2/kg/ha). (Very low
Shallow rooted vegetable, Long Day Plant
Photosynthetically C3 Plant
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More about Potato

11. 82 % area lies → Plains → Winter crop → October-March
10% area lies → hills → Summer crop → April-September
Acid – Citric acid, Aroma compound – Dimethyl pyrazine
Flower: Bisexual / hermaphrodite
Tuber dormancy → 8 to 10 weeks (broken with 1% Thiourea + 1 ppm GA3 →
treating for 1 hr)
Sprouted tubers → desirable for planting
Year 2008 → The year of potato
Fat → 0.1%
Rich → P, Fibre, Ca, Fe, Vit-C, Mg, Protein, (Amino acids), energy
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Conti…

12. Till date : 50 cvs- by CPRI, Shimla (H.P) (1956).
First two Clonal selection cvs. Kufri Safed (Phulwa) and Kufri Red (Darjeeling
Red) and Remaining all are Hybrids.
High DM content > 20% is desirable for processing industry
<20% is desirable for canning purpose.
Reducing sugars: Low is desirable for lighter and better colour of chips and
French fries (< 250 mg) 100g fresh tuber)
If High → it turns into brown / black and are unacceptable
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Potato Cultivars

13. Variety suitable for plains
K.Ashoka
K.Alankar
K.Pukhraj
K.Anand
Introduced variety
Upto Date (from North Ireland) – Most popular
Lady Rogenta-88
Safodi
Santana – 1
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Conti…

14. Table purpose varieties Processing purpose
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Conti…
Early
(80-90 days)
Medium
(90-100 days)
Late
(>110 days)
K. Chandramukhi K. Bahar K. Megha
K. Alankar K. Badshah K. Anand
K. Jyoti K. Chamtkar K. Sindhuri
K. Bahar K. Satluj K. Deva
K. Pukharaj K. Pukhraj K. Jeevan
K. Lavkar K. Anand
K. Ashoka K. Jyoti
K. Surya K. Lalima
K.Jawahar K. Arun
K. Ashoka
K. Swarna
K.Giriraj
K.Chipsona
For Chips For French Fries
K. Chipsona – 1 K. Surya
K. Chipsona – 2 K. Frysona
K. Chipsona – 3 K. Lavkar
K. Himsona K. Jyoti
K. Jyoti K. Atlantic
K. Chandramukhi Lady Rogenta-88
Lady Rogenta-88 Safodi
K. Atlantic Santana – 1
Safodi
Santana – 1

15. Transgenic variety:
“Newleaf” (Resi. to Pest).
According to purpose
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Conti…

16. Potato as a summer crop in hills and winter crop in tropical & sub tropical area.
Optimum temperature 15 to 200C
Minimum night temp is of great significance for tuberization & yield.
Night temperature 200C is favorable and Night temp. > 200C Do not tuberize.
At 300C → tuberization stop
For best yields, it needs long day condition during growth & short day
condition during tuberization.
Long photoperiod → Promotes haulm growth but delay tuberization
Short photoperiod → Reduces haulm growth but early tuberization
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Climate

17. Potato can be grown in all types of soil except saline and alkaline soils.
Light, well drained, Loamy and sandy loam soils, rich in O.M. are most
suitable for cultivation, of potato.
With adequate fertilization, grown even in sand.
For better tuber yield soil should be loose and friable with good drainage and
aeration.
Heavy textured or wet undrained not suitable for potato.
pH 6.0 to 8.0 is considered to be the best.
Excellent Potato crop is grown under river-bed system of cultivation in Deesa
(B.K., Gujarat)
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Soil

18. To select the variety Healthy, Earliness Free from disease (Common scab, ring)
High tuber yielding
Resistant to biotic & abiotic stress
Colour lusture & shape of tuber is even
Better eating, keeping & storage capacity
Thermophoto insensitive
Responsiveness to fertilizer
Suitable for processing & export
High vit-c, protein, DM content amd Low sugar content → processing
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Breeding Goals/Selection of Variety:

19. Seed tubers 2.5 to 3 t/ha or depend upon size of tubers and method of
cultivation varies from 1500 to 3000 kg/ha Pre-sprouted-healthy tuber are used
1500 kg/ ha tubers for riverbed and
2000 to 3000 kg/ ha tubers for field. Tubers have a 2-3 months rest
period/dormant period after harvest.
Cut tubers or small whole tuber (25g to 40g wt.) having at least – 2 to 3 eyes.
Dry Treatment (For 1000 kg cut pieces) (For soft rot): for 1 acre take
mencozeb 1kg + 5 kg Talcum powder (1:5 ratio)
Mixed the pieces in the above mixture
Keep the treated pieces in the shade for 8 to 10 hrs after planting in the field
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Tuber rate & Tuber treatment

20. Use 0.5% CuSo4 Solution (5g/lit → check ring diseases dip the knife in that
solution or use spirit or formalin )
Treatment to cold stored potato
After removing the seed potatoes from cold storage spread in shade → layers
tubers 30 cm thick → 1 week → pre-sprouted as size of sorghum grain then us
For proper sprouting Soaking of pieces into Solution of 1 % thiourea + 1 ppm
GA3 for 1 hr to get proper sprouting.
Dormancy – broken by treating the tubers with thiourea, ethylene, chlorohydrin
and GA3 at time planting:
Control for soil borne diseases: Diathane M-45 0.2 % Solution keeps under
shade for 10 min- control soil borne diseases.
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Conti…

21. Wet method or by using ridge & furrow method
Apply recommended O.M. @ 25 to 30 t/ha + 1 t castor cake at the time of soil
preparation
Maintain the 5 cm distance between fertilizer and piece of tuber
Planting time and distance
Around 15th November (Oct-Nov) and Too early or too late → tuber yield less.
Planting Manual → 50 x 20 cm, seed size 20 to 40g, seed rate 3 to 3.3 t/ha
Mechanical → 60 x 20 cm, seed size 20 to 40 g, seed rate 2.5 t/ha
Also in the field: 40 to 45 cm × 10 to15 cm. and in the riverbed: 20 × 20 cm.
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Planting Methods/Soil Preparation

22. Green manuring in Monsoon
Manures and fertilizers:
For Middle Gujarat: 200 + 100 + 200 kg/ha and
or River bed cultivation: 200 + 300 + 300 kg/ha.
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Fertilizer requirement (INM)
FYM N
kg/ha
P
kg/ha
K
kg/ha
Time of application
25 to 30 t/ha +
1 t castor cake
110 110 220 At the planting time in furrow
110 0 0 Top dressing – at the time of earthing up after weeding
(35 to 40 days)
Total 220 110 220

23. Critical Stages for irrigation
Germination, Stolonization and tuberization or Sprouting – 25 days after
planting, Initiation of tuber – 40 days after planting and Development of tuber -
50 to 70 days after plating
First irrigation given at 10 to 12 days or after germination
Total 8 to 10 → loamy soil (8 to 10 days interval)
Total 14 to 15 → sandy soil (6 to 8 days interval)
Stop irrigation → At 75 days
In Drip method, Lateral in the each line, Dripper at 60 cm, Discharge rate 4 l/hr
Dec.-Jan → 45 minutes at alternate day, Feb → 68 minutes at alternate day
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Irrigation:

24. 2 to 3 Interculturing operation
Pre-emergence spray of Metribuzin 70% WP (Sanker) 400g / 600 l water → for
1 ha of area when ample moisture is there or (Paraquate). 24 EC 2.5 l / 1000 l
of water
Earthing up
It is an important operation.
To provide optimum conditions for tuberization earthing up should be done in
such a way that adequate amount of soil remain to cover the tubers.
It is always better to do earthing up at the time of top dressing of nitrogenous
fertilizers.
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Intercultural/Weed management/Earthing up

25. These operations may also be followed by light irrigation because it help to
establishing the roots which have already been disturbed during earthing.
Only two earthing up are sufficient.
 First earthing up: 30-35 days after planting to provide optimum space for
tuberization.
 Second earthing up: 25- 30 days after first earthing to cover the exposed tuber
there by preventing greening effect.
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Conti…

26. Seed Plot Technique is discovered by Pushkarnath, 1967
The basic information on build up of aphid population in various regions made
it possible to develop Seed Plot Technique for growing healthy seed potato in
sub tropical plains of India under low aphid periods.
Seed plot technique in brief can be described as raising the crop during a
period, when aphid population is very low after taking pre-cautions such as use
of insecticides against aphids, periodical rouging of mosaic (virus) affected
plants and finally dehaulming the crop before aphids population attained the
critical level of 20 aphids per 100 compound leaves.
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Seed Plot Technique

27. Traditionally, seed tubers have been used to plant potato crop. This practice,
especially for developing countries is a major limiting factor because seed
tuber represents 40-70% of a crop production cost. (by Ramanujam in1957)
Two tonnes of costly, perishable seed tubers are needed to plant one hectare
The seed producing areas are located in the north of the country where seed
tuber production is taken up during low aphid incidence.
Hence, the seeds from north are to be transported over long distances to other
potato growing areas leading to escalation cost.
In some areas adequate cold storage facilities are also lacking.
These problems have led the development of an alternate technology, which
envisages the use of botanical seed or the true potato seed (TPS).
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True Potato Seed Technology

28. By using TPS, the entire tuber harvest would become available for table
purpose
Cost of seed would be cheaper as very small quantity will be needed to plant
unit area, Transport of TPS is inexpensive and simple.
100 grams of TPS can replace 2 tonnes of seed tubers required for planting one
hectare.
TPS may introduce potato cultivation into new areas where good quality
seed tubers are difficult to produce or store economically.
TPS can be stored for relatively longer period of time and does not require
expensive and specialized storage structures as required for seed tubers.
Disease transmission by TPS is less than by seed tubers. Hence, the crop raised
through TPS in almost disease free.
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Advantages of True Potato Seeds

29. Harvesting of potato is done before temperature rises above 300C.
It is completed by end of January in eastern plains and by middle of February
in western plains to avoid rotting of tubers due to high temperature.
Harvesting is done manually with help of a spade or bullock-driven single row
plough or mechanically with help of potato digger.
Under good crop management, 350-450 quintals of marketable potatoes of
good quality can be produced from one hectare land
Average yield of early maturing varieties is 20 t/ha while that of late maturing
varieties is 30 t/h.
25 to 35 t / ha in field condition and 40 to 50 t /ha in riverbed condition
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Harvesting and yield

30. Grading
Differentiation of quality for potatoes is very complex. However, high quality
traits, in commercial trade, include more than 70 to 80% of tubers which are
well shaped, brightness of colour (esp. reds, yellows, and whites), uniformity,
firmness, freedom from adhering soil, freedom from bruising (black spot or
shatter-bruising), scuffing or skinning, growth cracks, sprouting, insect
damage, Rhizoctonia Black Scurf, decay, greening, or other defects.
Packaging
The harvested potatoes are packed in jute gunny bags.
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Post Harvest Technology

31. Storage
Storage requirements of potato vary with the purpose for which potatoes are
stored. The methods generally used for storage of potatoes are-
Room Storage
The room should have a high plinth and good ventilation.
The doors and ventilators should be fitted with insect-proof wire-nets.
Potatoes can be stored in single layers on sand.
Frequent examination is necessary to discard tubers showing rotting symptoms.
Pit Storage
In this system, the tubers are stored in pits 60-75 cm deep and 2.5 metre long
and 1 metre wide.
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Conti…

32. These pits are made in a cool shady place.
Water is sprinkled inside the pit to achieve the cooling effect.
After two days neem leaves, dry grass or sugarcane trash is lined all round the
pit from inside.
Bamboo chimneys of 1.5 metre length are placed inside the pit 1 metre apart
for facilitating evaporation of the moisture deposited due to transpiration of the
stored tubers.
Pits are then filled with tubers leaving 15 cm on top followed by a one-foot
layer of dry grass. A thatch is provided over the pit as protection from rain and
sun
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Conti…

33. Cold Storage
This is the best method of storing potatoes.
At optimum conditions, potatoes should have good quality after storage of 3 to
5 weeks. Best temperature and humidity conditions for potatoes are as follows
Potatoes in the cold storage are spread over the shelf to a thickness of not more
than 30 cm.
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Conti…
Intended Use
Temperature
RH (%)
Seed 2.4 C 95
Table 7°C 98
Processing 8-12°C 95

34. Individual shelves are about 45 cm high and 15 cm space is allowed between
two layers.
Sprouting is often a serious problem in storage of potatoes.
Temperature, humidity, variety and maturity affects sprouting. Isopropyl N-
Chlorophenyl Carbamate (CIPC) is effective as sprout suppressant.
Its effectiveness is greator when CIPC treated potatoes were stored under
refrigeration under 8-12°C as against non-refrigerated storage.
Irradiation: Under PFAA → Preservation of Food Adulteration Act, Effective
dose 10 to 15 Krads or 0.10 to 0.15 kGy (Kilo gray) with 10 to 150C.
Storage Temp.: 3 to 4.40C, 85% R.H, Storage life : 34 weeks
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Conti…

35. Cause due to abnormal environmental conditions like nutrition, weather,
maturity etc.
Major Physiological disorders
Internal brown spot
Greening
Black heart
Hollow heart and Chilling injury
Internal Brown Spot:
Due to Water deficiency
irregular, brown spots scattered through the flesh of tubers
Never found in vascular region
Light sandy soil → not irrigated regularly
35
Physiological disorders

36. Greening:
Due to excessive exposure to sun rays.
Appearance of green colour of the tuber due to
presence and accumulation of solanin (20 mg/100
g is not harmful)
Avoiding exposure of tubers to direct sunlight
(Earthing up at 40 DAP)
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Conti…

37. Black heart
Due to poor ventilation, high temp (> 330C)
during storage and transportation
High soil temp during growing & maturity of
tubers in the field
Black discoloration occurs in the central tissues
of the tuber
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Conti…

38. Hollow heart:
Hollow heart and brown center negatively impact
tuber quality.
The disorder make cut fresh market tubers
unattractive and can reduce repeat sales.
Severe hollow heart negatively impacts the quality
of chips processing potatoes and can result in
shipments not making grades, However neither
disorder is reported as harmful and neither affects
the tuber’s taste or nutrtion.
It is due to excessive Nitrogen.
37
Conti…

39. Chilling injury:
Chilling injury may follow prolonged
storage of tubers at temperature of about
00C.
This result in discoloured blotches in the
flesh of tubers which vary from light
reddish-brown to dark brown diffused
brownish black patches on skin and
reduced or completely inhibited
sprouting of affected tubers when
planted.
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Conti…

40. Potato Tuber Moth (Phthorimaea operculella)
Control Measures
Sown healthy insect free potato tubers.
Do earthing carefully, so that tuber is not exposed
in the field to ovipositing female moths
Spray the crop with carbaryl or nuvacron or
monocil at 0.1 per cent.
Sort out all affected tubers before storage.
38
Plant Protection
Insect- pest

41. Cut Worms (Agrotis spp, Euxoa spp)
Control Measures
Spray the crop with dursban 20 EC at 2.5 ml
per litre of water or drench the plants, where
the damage is noticed.
Apply phorate 10 G granules at 10 kg per
hectare on soil around the plants and rake the
soil thereafter.
Use only well rotten farmyard manure.
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Conti…

42. Green peach Aphids (Myzus persicae)
Control Measures
Spray the crop with rogor or metasystox or
nuvacron or monocil at 1 ml per liter of water,
and repeat the spray 10 to 12 days interval
Cut the haulms in the first week of January to
check the transmission of virus through seed
potatoes.
3
Conti…

43. Other Insect-pest:
Epilachna Beetle
Leaf Eating Caterpillars
Jassids
Golden cyst Nematode
Root Knot Nematodes
Thrips
Mite
3
Conti…

44. Early Blight (Alternaria solani)
Control Measures
Follow crop rotation
Start sprays the crop Dithane M-45 at 0.2 per cent
30 to 35 days after planting and repeat I0 to 15
days interval
Grow early blight tolerant varieties such as Kufri
Naveen, Kufri Sjndhuri and Kufri Jeevan.
3
Diseases of Potato

45. Late Blight (Phytophthora infestans)
Control Measures
Plant only healthy disease free certified seed tubers.
Spray the crop thoroughly with diathane M-45 (2.0
kg/ha) or diathane Z-78 (2.5 kg/ha) or difolatan (2.5
kg/ha) well in advance to general appearance of
disease. The spraying operations should remain
continue at narrow interval of 5 to 6 days during cloudy
weather.
Grow late blight resistance varieties like Kufri
Navaharl.
Avoid applying in excess nitrogen and irrigation.
3
Conti…

46. Black Scurf (Rhizoctonia solani)
Control Measures:
Always sow certified seeds
Treat the seed tubers with any organo mercurial
fungicides containing 6 per cent mercury {agallol,
aretan, emisan etc.) for about 5 to 10 minutes
before the planting and also seed tubers before
keeping in the cold storage.
Dip the tubers in 1.75 per cent solution of sulfuric
acid for 20 minutes.
Apply Brassicol at 30 kg per hectare in the soil at
the time of sowing.
3
Conti…

47. Common Scab of Potato (Streptomyces scabies)
Control Measures
Obtain healthy, disease free seed tubers for planting.
Disinfect the tubers by dipping in suspension of
mercurial fungicide e.g. emisan-6 or agallol- 6 at 0.25
per cent concentration for 5 minutes,
Plant the tubers shallow.
Keep the soil wet during tuberization.
Follow crop rotation with non-host crops including
beets, carrot etc.
Maintain soil pH 5.0 to 5.3.
3
Conti…

48. Black Leg or Soft Rot (Erwinia spp.)
Control Measures:
Obtain healthy seed tubers for planting.
Avoid planting of cut seed potato.
Avoid planting too early and too late in the season.
Collect and destroy affected plants as and when seen
in the field.
3
Conti…

49. Wart Disease of Potato (Synchytrium endobioticum)
Control Measures
Avoid growing potatoes in known wart-affected soil.
Obtain disease free seed tubers for planting.
Soil treatment with 5 per cent formalin is effective
but very costly.
Grow wart tolerance varieties like Kufri Sherpa,
Kufri Jyoti, Kufri Jeevan and Kufri Muthu.
3
Conti…

50. Other Fungal Diseases:
Bacterial Brown Rot or Wilt Disease
Charcoal Rot
Dry Rot
Viral Diseases
Leaf Roll
Mosaic Disease
Phytoplasma Diseases
Potato Witches Broom, Purple Top of Potato, Marginal Falvescence of Potato
and Potato Phyllody
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