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Potato Production: Variety Selection

This document discusses potato production, including variety selection factors, planting periods in Zimbabwe, planting material requirements, sprouting, planting procedures such as spacing and fertilizer use, pest management, irrigation needs in hot and cold months, and harvesting and storage recommendations. Key factors in high potato yields include using certified seed potatoes, proper spacing and fertilization, and controlling pests like early blight through preventative spraying. Proper harvesting, curing, and storage are also important to maintain potato quality.

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Ethy Wa Wale
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© © All Rights Reserved
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
137 views

Potato Production: Variety Selection

This document discusses potato production, including variety selection factors, planting periods in Zimbabwe, planting material requirements, sprouting, planting procedures such as spacing and fertilizer use, pest management, irrigation needs in hot and cold months, and harvesting and storage recommendations. Key factors in high potato yields include using certified seed potatoes, proper spacing and fertilization, and controlling pests like early blight through preventative spraying. Proper harvesting, curing, and storage are also important to maintain potato quality.

Uploaded by

Ethy Wa Wale
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Potato Production

 Variety Selection

 Factors to consider:

 Yield potential (low, moderate and high)


 Maturity period (early, medium or late)
 Disease and pest tolerance
 Tuber characteristics (skin colour, flesh colour and tuber shape)
 Purpose (table or processing)

 Potato can be grown from True Potato Seed (TPS), plantlets or tubers.

 Use of tubers is the best method for potato production.

 Use of high quality seed is very important.

 Certified seed will produce 15 – 20% higher yields than standard seed.

 Planting Periods in Zimbabwe

 Summer (rain fed) November

 First winter- Feb – April

 Second winter- July- August

 Planting Material

 Obtain seed from a reliable source (Seed Potato Coop, Kutsaga, National Tested Seed and Prime Seed)

 Requirements per ha- 80 x 30kg pockets

 Sprouting

 Natural sprouting (3- 5 weeks)

 Forced sprouting (2-3 weeks)

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 Use Gibberellic acid (GA)- 32ml/ 100litrs of water/ ha

 Planting

 Basal Fertiliser

 Seedbed fert (S) / Compound S / Tobacco fert (C) - 1300- 1500kg/ha

 Nematode Control

 Culturally – rotations
 Nemacur 10G 100kg/ha
 Nemacur 480 EC 25 L/ha
 Temik 40kg/ha

 Spacing

 Spacing 1.2mx 0.23m


 Optimum plant population 37 000
 Depth of planting 5-10cm

 Top dressing/ Ridging

 300kg/ha,
 Applied three weeks after emergence
 Top-dress - Ridge - Spray
 Second top dress – re-ridge – Spray
 Ensure that the tubers are well covered to avoid Greening and Potato Tuber moth

 Pest Management

Problem Product Application Comments Product/ ha

Mainly Grasses Lasso 48 EC Pre-emergent to weeds and crop 3.5 – 4 lt

Dual Magnum Pre-emergent to weeds and crop 0.7 – 1.2 lt

Broad leaf Sencor 480 SC Pre-emergent 1 lt


weeds
MCPA Pre-emergent to crop and weed 4 lt

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Grasses only Agil 100 EC Annual grasses. Small 0.5 lt and larger
1 lt

Perennials grasses. Post emergent 1.5 lt

********* Metribuzin Pre- emergent 1 lt

********* Fusilade Forte Post emergent 0.58 – 6.7

Combinations: lasso 3lt + Sencor 0.7 lt/ Dual 960 1lt + Sencor 0.7 lt/ Lasso + MCPA 3.0 lt

Early blight Bravo Preventive 2.lt/ ha

Dithane M45 Preventive 200g/ 100lt water

Folicur Curative 500ml/ha

Score Curative 250ml/ha

Late blight Bravo Preventive 2lt/ ha

Dithane Preventive 200g/ 100 lt

Ridomil/ Miltraz Curative 2.5 kg/ ha

Early & Blight Copper Oxychloride 85 2.5kg/ha


WP

Polyram DF 2.5kg/ ha

Antracol 70 WP 1 – 4 kg/ ha

Bacteria Wilt Copper Oxychloride Weekly sprays, rogue infected crop 2kg/ ha

 Irrigation

Soil class Hot months Cold months Irrigation required

Light soils 3 -4 days 5 – 7 days 25 – 30mm


Heavy soils 5 – 7 days 10 – 12 days 30 – 35 mm

 Harvesting and Storage:

 Remove the haulms when 50%+ defoliation has occurred


 Leave the crop for two weeks before lifting
 Lifting can be done manually with a hole or mechanically
 Grade and pack by size
 Storage area should be well ventilated
 Average yields: 17 – 20 t/ha and winter yields: 24 -30t/ha

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