Potato Farming
Scientific Name: Solanum tuberosum
Family: Solanaceae
Origin: Peru
Potato is the most essential food in our day-to-day life and it is also called a Poor's man food. This crop can be used in any other crops for the vegetables in the house. This crop is suitable for any crop to mix and make vegetables to eat rice. Potato is been cultivated all over the world for long years ago and it will be cultivated for almost the era of the human species. Potato is an economical food, it is a low-cost food that gives you the desired nutrient to your body in a little amount of money. They are rich in carbohydrates, starch, vitamins c and b, Minerals, etc.
Climate Requirements
Potato is a winter season crop and it is cultivated in the cold season where there is sufficient moisture and fertile soil. The best temperature for the Satisfactory tuber growth is around 17°c to 19°c. If the temperature exceeds 30°c then it will adversely affect the tuber development. At the higher temperature, the respiration rates increases, and the carbohydrate produced by photosynthesis are consumed by the tuber rather than stored in the tuber. It grows best under long-day conditions. Sunshine along with cooler nights are essentials for reducing the spread of diseases.
Soil
Potato can be produced in many kinds of soils, ranging from silt loam, loam, sandy loam, and clay soil.
Soils of Potato should be well aerated, contains organic matter, be fairly deep, and should be friable. Well-drained sandy loam and medium loam soils, rich in humus are most suitable for potato farming. The suitable pH of soil for the Potato is range from 5.0-6.5.
Varieties
There are different types of varieties of potatoes. Some of them are Kufri Sindhuri, Jankdev, Khumal seto-1, Khumal rato-2,Kufri Jyoti,Cardinal, Degire etc.
Field Preparation
For the well tuberization of the potato crop, we need a well-pulverized seedbed. It is considered a Winter crop but should be planted before the extreme winter otherwise the baby plant will die and there will be not much yield.
We need to plow the field at least 20-25 cm in-depth and need 2-3 times of planking. An adequate amount of moisture is required for the better cultivation of the tuber of the potato crop.
Selection of seeds
The seed should have more sprouted having 3-4 eyes. 25-30 gm of tuber is ideal for the cultivation and better cultivation ratio. We can also keep the seed of the potato for a few days on the dark part so that more sprouts are grown in the seed for the fast cultivation of the seeds.
Seed rate
The seed rate should be around the 1.5-ton tuber/hector.
Planting distance
The planting distance should be 60 cm for the row to row and 25 cm for the plant to plant.
Method of Planting
We can cultivate potato-like in a flat surface without making any elevation between or making some elevation and some gap between the row or column.
Manure and fertilizer
The amount of manure for the potatoes is 15-20 tons/hector and Npk fertilizer should be around 100:100:60 kg/ha.