Detail cultivation practices of potato

1. Potato
Botanical Name :- Solanum tuberosum L
Family – Solanaceae
Local Name-Batata. Alu
Origin :-South America
Economic Importance:-
-Potato is the most important food crop in the world.
-Potatoes are rich source of starch, vitamins, minerals.
especially( vit. C & vit. B ) .
-They possess 20.6% CHO (Carbohydrates), 2.1% Protein, 0.3% Fat,
1.1% crude fiber and 0.9% ash.
-Used for several industrial purposes such as starch & alcohol
-Used for production of dextrin & glucose.

3. Botany:-
-Potato is herbaceous annual vegetative propagated by tubers.
-The tuber is an enlarged underground stem produced on the end of a
stolen & not on the roots.
-The root of potato is adventitious.
Soil and Climate:-
Soil:-
-Sandy or medium loam soils rich in organic mater content.
-slight acidic soil is preferable
-soil pH should be between 5-7.
-Soil should be loose, friable, well aerated with good drainage.
-This crop does not grow well in saline soils & under highly acidic
conditions it suffers from scab disease.

4. Climate :-
-Potato is a temperate crop.
which needs low temperature, low humidity & bright sunny days.
-25ºC- for Germination
-20ºC- for Vegetative growth
Between 17-20ºC-For tuber development.
-Temperature above 30ºC stop tuber formation completely because at
higher temperature rate of respiration increases & carbohydrates
formed by the process of photosynthesis is consumed rather than stored
in tubers.
-Cloudy days, rains and high humidity are very congenial for spread of
fungal & bacterial diseases.

5. Land Preparation :-
-Tuberization prefers to have well pulverized smooth tilth which may be
obtained by giving two ploughing (20cm, deep) with mould board plough
followed by clod crushing and 2-3 harrowing, planking and collection of
stubbles.
Seeds & sowing:-
Planting Time:
Rabi : Mid October to Mid November
Kharif – June to July
Seed size,
-Tubers having 30-50g weight are the most economical.
-Whole tubers should be planted for early crop.
-While cutting the tubers, care should be taken that each piece has 2 to 3
eyes & weights at least 25g.

6. seed rate:- 10 q/ha, 25q/ha
spacing:- 45 x 15 , 50 x 20
Varieties:-
Kufri Chandramukhi – Early (80-90 days
Kufri Lavkar – Early maturing (75-90 days)
Kufri sinduri – Late maturing (120-140 days)
Early – Kufri Alankar, Kufri Shakti, Kufri Navtal, ‘Kufri moti’
Late – Kufri red, kufri Kissan,
Varieties for hills:- Kufri joti, Kufri jeevan, Kufri naveeen, Kufri moti.
New variety:- Kufri frysona:It is used for preparation of French fryies.
True Potato Seed(TPS)-HPS-1/113,C-3.

7. Planting Methods:-
Planting on ridges:-
-Ridges are opened at a distance of 45-60cm & tubers are planted opposite on
these ridges at a distance of 30 cm.
-The planting is done with the help of khurpi.
-Flat bed planting:-
-Most common in areas having light sandy soils.
-Planting of tubers is done on flat surface in very shallow furrows & planking
is done.

8. Nutrient Management:
FYM – 40-50 CL/ha (20-25 tones/ha)
RDF :-100:60:120 N:P:K: (Kg/ha)
Micro nutrients
-ZN-Zn deficiency – ‘little leaf’ appears on young developing leaves,
yellowing of foliage.
Fe-Yellowing of leaves near the growing point of the plant.
Mn- slight cupping of younger leaves, blackening of leaf
Cu-Light green colour of young immature leaf blades.
B-Formation of bushy plant with droopy leaves.
Mo- Chlorosis

9. Water Management:-
-Total water requirement - 50-60 cm ha.
-Total no of irrigation- 8-10.
1st – immediately after planting.
2nd – 1 week after planting.
-Subsequent irrigation may be given at an interval of 6-8 days.
-The irrigation water should not be salty as potato can not tolerate
saline.
-Most critical growth Stages for irrigations are
-Germination (10-12 DAP)
-Tuber initiation (30-35 DAP)
-Tuber bulking (55-60 DAP)

10. Earthing up:-
-Potato tubers are modified underground stems.
-which synthesizes solanin, if exposed to sunlight.
-It is essential to cover the tubers with soil because with chlorophyll
formation, the tubers stop accumulating starch & remain smaller & the
Solanin formation in green tubers results into bitter taste of tubers
which is harmful if consumed.
-While earthing up it is essential to loosen the soil around the plants,
then fertilizer, for top dressing is mixed with soil after which ridges are
prepared.
-At this the roots are disturbed and partly damaged, therefore it is
essential to provide one very light irrigation.

11. Weed Management:-
-1st Two weeding - 15-20 DAP
-2nd weeding cum hoeing at the time of earthing up about 30- 35 DAP.
Alachlor ( Lasso ) 50 % EC @ 2 –2.5 Kg a.i./ha as a Pre-emergence
spray.
Crop rotation and mixed cropping:-
- Maize/paddy/soybean – potato
-Cowpea – potato – Wheat
-Maize - potato – Wheat
-Maize – Potato – Potato

12. Harvesting:-
-There should be optimum moisture in the soil at the time of harvest.
-care should be taken to avoid mechanical damages like skinning,
brushing, etc.
-Crop should be harvested when haulms start yellowing & falling on
the ground.
-At this stage haulms should be removed at ground level.
-The crop should be harvested about 15 days after cutting the haulms.
-Digging is done with kudali or by ploughing the field with wooden
plough or by use of potato digger.
- Collecte Exposed tubers.
Yield:- 25 -30 tonnes/ha.