DEPARTMENT: AGRICULTURE

PotatoesVegetable production

2002

Compiled by Directorate Agricultural Information Services, Department of Agriculturein cooperation withW. Willemse, KwaZulu-Natal Department of Agriculture

Illustrations by L. Herbst, Mjindi Farming (Pty) Ltd

Printed and published by Department of Agricultureand obtainable from Resource Centre, Directorate Agricultural Information ServicesPrivate Bag X144, Pretoria, 0001 South Africa

This publication is available on the web: www.nda.agric.za/publications

Information provided by

ARC-Roodeplaat Vegetable and Ornamental Plant InstituteTel. (012) 841 9611

2. It may be necessary to rip the field

3. Irrigate the land if necessary

1

Preparing the land for potatoes

1. Take soil samples fordetecting the presenceof nematodes

5. Disc the field

6. Draw furrows90 cm apartand about20 cm deep

7. Apply fertiliser using the tin-and-rope method(see inside of back cover page)

4. Turn up (plough) the soil in the field

500 ml

2

90 cm 90 cm{20 cm

Ask your extension officer how the method works

Store them under trees

or

Do not store in total darkness

or in stores

Tubers must sprout before planting

3

Preparation of tubers

Store the tubers immediately before planting

1. Do a soil analysisif possible

It is best to applyfertiliser duringplanting

2. Cover the fertiliser with a thinlayer of soil, using a hoe

3. Apply a pesticideif nematodes arepresent

REMEDREMEDREMEDREMEDREMEDYYYYY

Fertilise and plant the potato tubers

Use ±8 bags of MAP + 4 bags of KCL fertiliser per hectare

+

4

4. Place the potatotubers in furrows

5. Put them in rows and leave enough space for each

soilsoil

fertiliser

10 cm10 cm

90 cm

5

Leave a space of 30cm if potatoes arethe same size as amatchbox

same size

Potatoes that are big-ger than a matchboxneed a spacing ofabout 40 cm

bigger

smaller

If potatoes are smallerthan a matchbox, thena space of about 20 cmshould be left

6. Cover the potato tuberswith soil and waterthem a little, otherwisethey may rot

9. Leave the potatoes in the soil and do not lift or eat themwithin a period of 120 days (4 months)

7. Irrigate the plants after emerging on a regular basis

or

4 bags LAN

2 bags UREA

2 bags 1:0:1

How much to use

8. Topdress the potatoes 5 weeks after planting and beforeridging, using the tin-and-rope method

+

2 bags 1:0:1+

6

Why is ridging necessary?

To prevent potato tuber moth from reaching the tubers

You can ridge the potatoes5 to 8 weeks after planting

To keep the plants upright

7

Ridging the potato crop

3. To make lifting of potatoes easier

4. Ridging helps control weed growth

5. It also incorporatesfertiliser into the soiland prevents sundamage

8

Weeds can be removed by

Chemical methods

Ridging, or a hoe

9

Controlling weeds

10

3 weeks after the foliage has died off

You can harvest potatoes

16 to 20 weeks after planting

or

Harvesting

WAIT

There are two methods

You can harvest by hand

You can harvest mechanically

How to harvest

11

The table indicates the approximate rope length in metres at differentrow spacings, fertiliser product group and application rates that shouldbe used in applying 500 ml of fertiliser.Hand application of fertiliser using a 500 ml l l l l container

Tin-and-rope method

A B C D

UREA LAN (28) MAP (33) SUPERS (10,5)1:0:1 (48) ASN (27) AM SULPHATE (21) AM SUPERS (16)1:0:1 (36) 5:1:5 (45) POT CHLOR (50)4:1:0 (40) 2:0:3 (49) 1:0:2 (49)

3:1:4 (44) + Zn 2:3:2 (22) + Zn3:1:5 (45) 2:3:4 (30)2:3:2 (30)4:1:6 (45)

Fertiliser product group

12

Row spacing 0,91 m (3’0”) 1,00 m (3’3”) 1,07 m (3”6”)

Product group A B C D A B C D A B C D

Application Approximate rope length in metresrate at kg/ha over which distance the 500 mlllll container must be emptied

100 44,0 48,4 52,7 59,3 40,0 44,0 48,0 54,0 37,4 41,1 44,9 50,5200 22,0 24,2 26,4 29,7 20,0 22,0 24,0 27,0 18,7 20,6 22,4 25,2300 14,7 16,1 17,6 19,8 13,3 14,7 16,0 18,0 12,5 13,7 15,0 17,8400 11,0 12,1 13,2 14,8 10,0 11,0 12,0 13,5 9,3 10,3 11,2 12,6500 8,8 9,7 10,5 11,9 8,0 8,8 9,6 10,8 7,5 8,2 9,0 10,1600 7,3 8,1 8,8 9,9 6,7 7,3 8,0 9,0 6,2 6,9 7,5 8,4700 6,3 6,9 7,5 8,5 5,7 6,3 6,9 7,7 5,3 5,9 6,4 7,2800 5,5 6,0 6,6 7,4 5,0 5,5 6,0 6,8 4,7 5,1 5,6 6,3900 4,9 5,4 5,9 6,6 4,4 4,9 5,3 6,0 4,2 4,6 5,0 5,6

1 000 4,4 4,8 5,3 5,9 4,0 4,4 4,8 5,4 3,7 4,1 4,5 5,0

Row spacing 1,22 m (4’0”) 1,37 m (4’6”) 1,52 m (5’0”)

100 32,8 36,1 39,3 44,3 29,2 32,1 35,0 39,4 26,7 29,3 32,0 36,0200 16,4 18,0 19,7 22,1 14,6 16,1 17,5 19,7 13,3 14,7 16,0 18,0300 10,9 12,0 13,1 14,8 9,7 10,7 11,7 13,1 8,9 9,8 10,7 12,0400 8,2 9,0 9,8 11,1 7,3 8,0 8,8 9,9 6,7 7,3 8,0 9,0500 6,6 7,2 7,9 8,9 5,8 6,4 7,0 7,9 5,3 5,9 6,4 7,2600 5,5 6,0 6,6 7,4 4,9 5,4 5,8 6,6 4,4 4,9 5,3 6,0700 4,7 5,2 5,6 6,3 4,2 4,6 5,0 5,6 3,8 4,2 4,6 5,1800 4,1 4,5 4,9 5,5 3,6 4,0 4,4 4,9 3,3 3,7 4,0 4,5900 3,6 4,0 4,4 4,9 3,2 3,6 3,9 4,4 3,0 3,3 3,6 4,0

1 000 3,3 3,6 3,9 4,4 2,9 3,2 3,5 3,9 2,7 2,9 3,2 3,6

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