REQUIREMENTS, MANAGEMENT, GRADING

REQUIREMENTS, MANAGEMENT, GRADING

NUTRITIONAL REQUIREMENTS AND THEIR MANAGEMENT
  • Soil poor in organic matter content should be supplied with 250-500q/ha of Farm Yard Manure or compost during land preparation.
  • When it is grown in medium type of soils, it needs 100-150 kg/ha nitrogen, 80-100 kg each of phosphorus and potash per hectare.
  • Two-third to three fourth quantity of nitrogen along with whole quantity of phosphorus and potash is applied at the time of planting.
  • Remaining one fourth to one third nitrogen is applied 30-35days after planting.
INTERCULTURAL OPERATIONS
  • Mulching helps in conserving soil moisture, reducing soil temperature and inducing quick germination.
  • Local available materials such as pine needles or leaf litters are quite effective in controlling run off losses and conserving moisture.
  • Weeds are effectively managed by cultural or chemical methods or combination of both methods.
  • Weeds are effectively controlled by hoeing and weeding when the crop is about a month old followed by earthing up.
  • Pre-emergence application of fluchloralin@ 1 kg a.i. per ha or alachlor@ 1 kg a.i. per ha or pendimethalene@ 1.8 kg a.i. per ha or atrazine @ 1.0 kg a.i. per ha can effectively control the weeds.
  • Post emergence application (5-10% emergence) of paraquat@ 0.36 kg a.i. per ha is also effective.
  • Application of Tok-e-25 @2.5kg a.i. per ha as post emergence application at about 2-3 leaf stage is also helpful in managing the weeds.
  • The use of weedicides in potato crop in general is not essential because earthing up operation destroys almost all weeds, if somehow, weed plants are growing on ridges, they may be pulled out by hands.
  • Pre-emergence application of nitrofen @ 1.0 kg a.i. /ha or post emergence application of propanil @ 1.0 kg a.i. /ha may to be used in 800-1000 litre of water.
16.2a
Water Management
  • Before coming to the planting operation, it should be kept in mind that sufficient soil moisture is available for satisfactory sprouting.
  • Pre-planting irrigation is advantageous for uniform germination.
  • The rate of water is low till 30-35 days after planting.
  • Further irrigation is done as and when crop needs.
  • Second irrigation is given after about a week and subsequent as and when required. Light and frequent irrigations are better than heavy and less frequent irrigations.
  • Water is applied effectively and economically at critical stages in crop development i.e. stolon formation, tuber initiation and tuber development stages of crop.
  • The total water requirement varies between 350-500mm depending upon soil type, climate and crop duration.
  • Irrigation is stopped about 10 days before harvesting of crop to allow firming of tubers skin.
Harvesting and Yield

  • The crop is harvested when it is fully matured which can be characterized by when haulms turn yellow and no pulling out of skin on rubbing of tubers.
  • At the time of harvesting, field should not be too wet nor too dry.
  • Tractor operated potato diggers are available for digging the tubers from the fields.
  • Harvested potatoes are heaped under shade for a couple of days, so that their skin becomes hard and soil adhering with them is also separated out.
  • Under good crop management, 350-450q marketable potatoes of good quality can be produced from one hectare land.
GRADING
The tubers are, generally, categorized into 3 grades according to the size and weight of the tubers.
  1. Grade A (Large): Tuber weight more than 75g
  2. Grade B (Medium): tuber weight between 50-75g
  3. Grade C (Small): Tuber weight less than 50g
  • Over sized tubers are great in demand for chips making.
  • However, both the over sized and under sized are quite unsuitable for seed purpose.
Post harvest handling
  • Nearly 20% of total potato production is used as planting material in the following season.
  • Therefore, handling of seed stocks is particularly become very important.
  • After harvesting, tubers are kept in heaps in cool places for drying and curing of skin i.e. for 10-15 days.
  • Heaps 3-4 m long wide at the base and 1 m in the central height are the best.
  • In hills, tubers are spread in well ventilated rooms for drying.
  • After grading potato tubers meant for use as seed crop next year are treated with 3% boric acid solution for 30 minutes for protecting against soil borne pathogen before storing in the bags.
  • In the plains, tubers after drying, curing and grading are stored in cold stores where temperature is maintained at 2-4oC with 75-80% RH.
  • Low temperature checks sprouting and rotting and high RH reduces weight loss in tubers.
  • Potatoes can be stored in the cold storage at the temperatures of 1.11-2.7oC and relative humidity of 90-95 per cent.
Marketing
The factors which make marketing of potato as a complicated process and result in high fluctuation of prices and often glut situation are:
  • Transportation to long distances is problem as potatoes are semi-perishable and bulky.
  • Often potatoes rot during transit because of high temperature at the time of transport.
  • Problem is further compounded due to shortage of transporting wagons.
  • Total cold storage capacity in the country is adequate only to store 35-40% of the total production.
  • Functioning of CS many a time is not up to the mark and is marked by various mal practices.
  • The markets in potato producing belts in NI plains are not properly integrated with major consuming markets of metropolitan cities.
Value added products
  • Potatoes can be easily processed into dehydrated and canned products like Chips, Flakes, French fries, Finger chips, Granules, Disc, Cubes, Flour etc.
  • Processing industry is also picking up in the recent past.
  • It is desirable to avoid glut and consequent difficulty of storing large quantities of potatoes during period of high temperature after harvest in the plains.
Last modified: Sunday, 17 June 2012, 6:30 AM