POTATO

Solanum tuberosumCHROMOSOME NO.-2n=4x=48

Family: Solanaceae

ORIGIN:

Peru and Bolivia in South America

Among the major potato growing countries of the world, China ranks first in area followed by Russian Federation, Ukrain and Poland.

India ranks fifth in area and production in the world.

Area : 1.32 m ha

Production : 24 m t

Productivity : 18 t/ha

In European and American countries, the productivity is about 30-40 t/ha.

Important cash crop of India and is grown under wide range of climate viz., temperate, subtropical, warmer plateau region and Nillgiri hills.

Great NI plains are very suitable for its cultivation Rich alluvial soil, Availability of plenty of water, and A very congenial climate This region accounts for nearly 82% of the potato area and

85% of the total potato production of the country. Plays a vital role in the economy of Himachal Pradesh. High hills are quite favourable for the production of disease

free tubers/seed potato. Area in H.P. is 16.2 thousand ha with a production of 140

thousand tones. Fits well in multiple cropping and inter-cropping systems due

to considerable flexibity in planting and harvesting time in addition to its short duration.

Importance

Uses

Proved its worth in feeding the nation in emergency.

An important source of starch. Rich source of body building substances such

as vitamins (B1, B2, B6 and C), minerals (Ca, P and Fe) and protein.

All dietary substances except fat. Used as staple diet in many of the countries

specially in the west. Raw potato should not be consumed as they

result in cramps in stomach.

ClimateA cool season crop, tolerate moderate frost.20oC soil temperature for better germination.Young plants growth is good at 24oC but later

growth is favoured by a temperature of 18oCNo tuberization when the night temperature is

more than 23oC. Maximum tuberization is encountered at 20oC. Tuber formation stop completely at about 29-30oC.

Planting is done in the hills when the maximum temperatures are about 20-22oC and minimum temperature are about 12-15oC

Well drained clay loam soils, rich in humus. pH 5 to 6.5.

Soils

Varieties recommended for cultivation in India

Early Varieties (ready in 70-80 days)

Main season varieties (ready in 90-95 days)

Kufri Ashoka Kufri Jyoti

K. Chandermukhi K. Sutlej

Kufri Jawahar K. Pukhraj, K. Megha

Kufri Lauvkar K. Badshah, Kufri Anand

Late Varieties Kufri Bahar, K. Sadabahar

K. Jeevan, K. Khasigaro, Kufri Sindhuri, Kufri Lalima

K. Neelamani, K. Naveen K. Deva, K. Sherpa, K. Swarna

FOR PROCESSING: Kufri Chipsona1, Kufri Chipsona 2, Kufri Chipsona 3, Kufri Himsona

For H.P.: K. Jyoti, K. Chandermukhi, K. Giriraj, K. Himsona

AGRONOMIC PRACTICES

Soil preparation and planting

►A well prepared soil provides sufficient room for the development of tubers and also helps to retain moisture.

►The fields are ploughed to a depth of 20-35 cm and clods are broken.

►Hot weather cultivation consists of ploughing during summer (May-June) and keeping it fellows, helps in reducing the problem of soil borne pathogens/pests and also controls perennial weeds.

►In higher hills, 2 ploughings with mould board plough before snowfall in October-November and 2 ploughings before potato planting give desirable tilth.

Region Season Planting Time Harvesting Time

North western hills

Very high hills Summer April-May Sept-Oct

High hills Summer Mid March-April Sept-Oct

Mid hills Spring Jan-Feb May-June

North central high hills Summer Mid Feb-March August-Sept.

North eastern high hills Spring Mid Dec-Mid Jan July-August

Shillong hills Summer March-April July-August

Autumn March-April Dec-Jan

Winter Jan-Feb May-June

Planting season

Contd…….

North western plains (Jammu, Pb, Western U.P., Har, Raj, Plains of M.P)

Early Mid Sept Mid Nov-Dec

Autumn Mid Oct Feb-March

Spring Jan April

North Central Plains Winter Mid Oct Feb-March

North Eastern plains

Bihar Winter Oct end to Nov.2nd week Jan-Feb

W.B. Winter Early Nov Jan-Feb

Orissa Winter Early Nov Jan-Feb

Plateu regions Kharif June-July Sept-Oct

Rabi Oct-Nov Feb-March

Low Hill September- October

January

Mid Hill September December-January

High Hill March- April April- May

Sowing Time in H.P.

Propagated through tubers. The eyes on the tuber surface contain axillary buds. The tubers have a dormancy of nearly 8-10 weeks. When dormancy is over, axillary buds start germinating

and produce sprouts. Planting sprouted tubers put up fast and vigorous

growth.

Seed preparation

Breaking of Dormancy Thiourea (Sodium Potassium thiocyanate) @ 1-2% treatment to

cut tubers for 1-1½ hours. 1 kg for 10q of seed tuber. or Tubers are kept in 5ppm solution of GA3 for 10 seconds. or Treat the tuber with acquous solution of thiourea for one hour

followed by dipping in 2 ppm solution of GA for 10 seconds. Or Ethylene chlorohydrine used as a gas treatment. 6 parts of

water and 4 parts of chemical is mixed and keep tubers in this solution for 5 days in an air tight chamber at 70-80oF temperature.

Preparation of tubers from cold storage:Warm up the tubers at 60oF for 10-14 days before sowing which

sprout quickly and give good germination stand.

◙ Seed rate-25-30 q per ha◙ Proper combination of seed size and spacing is essential to get the required

number of stems per unit area. ◙ Planting 40-50 g tuber with 40-50mm diameter at a spacing of 45-60cm X 20-25

cm. ◙ Large tubers are cut into pieces, each containing atleast 1-2 eyes. ◙ Tuber cutting is not recommended specially when producing a seed crop

because of danger of transmitting viruses and bacteria. ◙ Special care is taken to avoid tuber decay when cut tubers are used for

plantation.

Seed rate and Spacing

☻ Treat the cut tubers with 0.25% Dithane-Z-78 and 0.1% Bavistine to prevent rotting

☻ Heal cut tubers at 18-210C and 85-90% RH for 2-3 days (suberization) to prevent rotting.

☻ Don’t treat the tubers with any chemical if sprouts are coming out.

☻ Treat with aglal (0.5%) for 5-10 minutes to control scab disease.

TREATMENT OF CUT SEED TUBERS

METHODS OF THE PLANTING- Ridge and furrow method Most popular, carried out manually or mechanically- Mechanical method Furrows are made with the help of tractor drawn 2-4 row

marker-cum-fertilizer drills so as to apply fertilizer in one sequence.

This is followed by planting of tubers with the help of 2-4 rows planter-cum-ridger

- On flat surface followed by ridges- Care must be taken that seed tubers do not come in direct

contact of fertilizers.

Nutrient Management

FYM (t/ha)

N (Kg/ha) P2O5 (Kg/ha)

K2O (Kg/ha)

FOR HP 100 120 80 60

FOR PLAINS

100 150-180 60-80 100-120 Full FYM, P and K and half N at planting time. Remaining N should be top dressed at earthing up .

♣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.

♣Hoeing cum weeding in one month old crop followed by earthing up, effectively control weeds.

♣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.

♣Post emergence application of Tok-e-25 @2.5kg a.i. per ha at about 2-3 leaf stage is also helpful in managing the weeds.

Interculture and weed control

Pre-planting irrigation is advantageous for uniform germination.

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.

Total water requirement =350-500mm Critical stages Stolon formation Tuber initiation and tuber development Stop irrigation 10 days before harvesting to

allow firming of tuber skin.

IRRIGATION

The crop is harvested when it is fully matured This 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.

HARVESTING

Grading3 grades according to size and weight of the tubers.

Grade A (Large): Tuber weight more than 75gGrade B (Medium): Tuber weight between 50-75gGrade C (Small): Tuber weight less than 50g

Early varieties 200 q/ha

Late Varieties 300 q/ha

Yield

Post harvest handling►Nearly 20% of total potato production is used as planting

material in the following season.

►Handling of seed stocks particularly become very important.

►After harvesting, Keep tubers in heaps in cool places for drying and curing of skin 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 for 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 2-4 0C with 75-80% RH.

►Low temperature checks sprouting and rottage and high RH reduces weight loss in tubers.

MarketingThe factors which makes 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 upto 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 productsPotatoes 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.

PHYSIOLOGICAL DISORDERS

Avoid over fertilization particularly N Maintain optimum soil moisture conditions.

1. HOLLOW HEART☻ Caused by rapid growth☻ Tubers become oversized and remain empty

within leading to formation cavity in centre with death of small area of pith cells

☻ Resulting in adjacent cracks and hollowness as the centre expands during the growth.

2. BLACK HEART ☻ Sub-oxidation conditions under potato

tuber storage in piles. ☻ Higher temperature & excessive

moisture resulted in blackening of tissues in the centre.

☻ Appearance of tuber affect consumers otherwise no decay.

♣ Provide proper ventilation♣ Keep potato tubers in layers and do not store tubers in the heap.

Factors associated with increased glycoalkaloid (solanin) contents

Mechanical injury, Premature harvest, Excessive application of

fertilizers Exposure of tubers to sunlight

3. GREENING

♣ Proper earthing up of tubers as the tuberization takes place♣ Store tubers in darkness after digging up.

4. TRANSLUCENT END► Related to environmental stress i.e.

draught and heat. ► Appear at the proximal end of the

tuber. ► Tubers show glossy appearance and

are irregular in shape. ► Results in decay in storage. ► These glossy areas are high in

sugar and low in total soluble solids

♣ Avoid excessive N supply

♣ Maintain 50% moisture in the field.

Boron deficiency or uneven water supply

5. KNOBBINESSUneven growth of tuber cells/tissues.

Uneven watering causes obstruction in tuber growth.

Heavy irrigation after a long dry spell leads to growth of some cells very fastFrequent and optimum irrigation

☻Application of Borax @ 20kg/ha☻Frequent and optimum irrigation supply

6. CRACKING

7. SUN SCALDING☼ High temperature (>30oC) and more sunshine in autumn. ☼ Emerging sprouts and leaflets are drastically affected i.e. tip burn.

☻ Pass Water through the furrows to lower the soil temperature.

8. BLACK SPOT

Grow resistant varieties Proper storage and growing

conditions.

Internal browning of potato tubers. Occurs in vascular tissues with in 3 days of

mechanical injury. Phenoles are related to black spot in potato

tubers.

9.FREEZING INJURY► Exposure of tubers to freezing

temperature during or after harvest. ► -1.5oC or below temperature.► Discoloration of tissues ► Leads to unmarketable tubers. ► Tubers show more damage towards

proximal end. ► Avoid exposure of tubers to freezing

temperature

Often a serious problem in storage

☻ Spraying maleic hydrazide @ 1000-6000ppm about 2-3 weeks before harvesting.

☻ Chemicals like Chloro IPC (N-tetra chloro isopropyl carbonate)@ 0.5% and/or nomyl/amyl alcohol @0.05-0.12mg/ha inhibit sprouting

10. SPROUTING

11. SWOLLEN LENTICELS☻Exposure of the tuber to very wet conditions

in the field or in storage causes oxygen deprivation.

☻Besides giving an unmarketable appearance to the tuber, provide entrance to pathogenic organisms, bacterial soft rot and pink rot .

♣ Avoid over-watering and provide good drainage♣ Avoid harvesting low, swampy spots in the field. ♣ Avoid condensation in storage. Keep storage

well ventilated.

DISEASES

Causal organism- Alternaria solani

Concentric rings of brown to black colour are formed on the leaves.

Heavily infected leaves fall off after drying.

Spots also appear on stems.

EARLY BLIGHT

MANAGEMENT

♣Destruction of crop debris by burning

♣Spray Ridomil MZ @2g/l or 0.3% Blitox or 0.25% DM-45/DZ-78 at fort night interval 3-4 times.

♣Resistant varieties – Kufri Naveen, Kufri Jeevan

Casual organism: Phytophthora infestans

Lower leaves infctedWater soaked leisons

appear on the marginsCottony growth of fungus

on lower sides of leavesDecay of tubers

LATE BLIGHT

Management

☻Use of disease free seed.☻Spray ridomil@ 2g per litre☻Resistant varieties like Kufri

Jawahar, Kufri himsona, K. Jyoti, K. Swarnima, K. Kanchan.

BROWN ROT:

(Pseudomonas solanacearum)

Wilting and stunting of plants

Soil borne and carried by infected tubers used as seed also.

MANAGEMENT:Crop rotation with

maize and wheat.Disease free tubers

BLACK SCURF (Rhizoctonia solani)• Sprouts are killed before emergence• Cankers cause wilting of plants• Black crust on tubers resulting in ugly appearance

MANAGEMENT : • Seed tubers should be treated with Aratan-6 or Tefasan 0.2%.

• Keep the tubers for 5 minutes in Aglal-3 @0.5% or Aglal-6 @0.2%.

• Treat the seed tubers for 15 minutes in solution of 0.1% acetic acid + 0.5% ZnSO4.

• Use crop rotation• Soil treatment with Brassicol @ 20-30 kg per ha

Disease Control measures

Common Scab Seed treatment with 0.5% Agalol-3 for 30 minutes or

Grow scab resistant varieties

Verticillium Wilt(Soil borne disease)

► Use of disease-free seeds► Resistant varieties ► long rotations

Charcoal Rot ☻Surface disinfection with some fungicides.

Wart disease ☻Soil sterilization by steam, mercuric chloride, copper sulphate or 5% formalin.

☻Resistant varieties – K. Jyoti, K. Sherpa and K. Kanchan

Black Leg and Soft Rot

►Use of disease-free seeds►long rotations

Bacterial Soft Rot ► Separate diseased tubers from healthy ones before storage.

► Treat Seed tubers with 0.5% solution of Agalol-3/Aretan-6/Emisan-6 before storage, for 30 minutes

Management of some common disease

Latent Mosaic Mechanically transmitted (PVX, PVS or PVM)Use-disease free seedsLocal quarantine

Mild Mosaic Use-disease free seedsUse resistant varieties.

Rugose or Vein-banding Mosaic

-do-

Purple top Leaf Roll Transmitted by leaf hopperUse of certified disease-free seedControl of insect vectors

Management of some common viral diseases

Management of Mycoplasmal diseasesDisease Control measuresPurple-top-roll Control leaf hoppers (Alebrodes spp.)

Marginal Flavescence

►Prevalent in North-west hills►Use disease free seed material

Witch’s Broom ☻Prevalent in Deccan Plateau☻Use disease free seed material

Potato Phyllody

☻Prevalent in Deccan Plateau☻Use disease free seed material

Rot knot nematode

☻Keep land fallow for a quite long time☻Follow crop rotation☻Nematicides like DD @ 225 l/ha should

be injected in the soil. ☻Place between the rows EDB @ 175

kg/ha 2 weeks before planting.

Golden knot nematode

INSECT -PESTS

1.HADDA BEETLE:(Henosepilachna vigintioctopunctata) DAMAGING STAGE: Grubs and

adults Infected portion: FoliageCONTROL: Spraying with 0.2% carbaryl dusting of 5% carbaryl @ 30 kg

per ha

2. Aphids(Myzus persicae) Damaging stage: nymphs and

adults Infected portion: leaves and

tender shoots+ stem Transfers viral diseasesCONTROL: Spray oxy demeton methyl@

0.025% or dimethionate 50 EC@ 0.05%

3. Potato tuber moth (Phthorimaea operculella)

CONTROL: Seed potato should be protected by

dusting 5% Malathion dust on and around the heap at the rate of 5 kg per tonne

Two sprays of fenvalerate0.01% or cypermethrin 0.0075/ deltamethrin 0.0028%

Damaging state: caterpillars

LEAF HOPPER(Amarasca biguttela)

CONTROLSpray malathion0.05%/oxy demeton methyl 0.025%/carbaryl

0.1% 35EC@ 1.5 L/ha

Nymphs and adult damage the crop.

They transmit virus.

CUT WORMS►Caterpillar causes damage.

CONTROLDrenching the soil

with chloropyriphos 20 EC@ 2.5 ml per L

Use of healthy seed in vegetative propagated crop is very important

Continuous use of same seed stocks year after year without periodic replacement allows infiltration of diseases particularly viruses.

These viruses readily spread through contact of foliage and roots in the field or through aphid vectors.

Debilitating effect and bring down yield potential of infected tubers.

High hills were the traditional sources of healthy seed as population of aphids remain low due to low temperature.

Accounts for only 5% of the area under potato and this was not enough to meet the seed requirement of the plains.

In 1962, Cockerham (Scotland) came to India to do some studies to increase the potato yield.

On the basis of data on appearance and build up of aphids in different months, successful cultivation of seed potato in plains under low or no aphid condition is possible.

“Seed Plot Technique” i.e. raising the healthy seed crop during low aphid period available in northern plains.

Seed Plot Technique

Planting before the commencement of 10thOctober Sowing at closer spacing of 45cm X15 cm for smaller size tubers Two inspections to rogue out diseased or off-type plants during

growing season Application of granular systemic insecticides at planting or earthing

up. Restrict irrigation when crop has tuberized well by the middle of

December, and later with hold it completely. At the end of December or first week of January, cut haulm before the

aphid population build up to 20 aphids per 100 leaves. If the crop is still green destroy the haulms by spraying 2% solution of

CuSO4 or cut them. The harvesting of tubers is done in Mid February to end February

SEED PLOT TECHIQUE

Hot weather cultivation and green manuring Crop rotation for 2-3 years. One or two sprays of systemic insecticides + spray of metalaxyl or

Mancozeb in December- January. Dip tubers in 3% boric acid for 30 minutes after harvest and

before storage of the produce. Technique helps in meeting the large requirement of healthy seed

in country.

True Potato SeedCultivation through true potato seed is beneficial

because:

☻Seed material i.e. potato tubers required to cultivate 1.32 m ha area is around 33 m q (seed rate 25 q/ha).

☻Quality seed production, certification and storage of such a huge quantity is very difficult.

☻Transportation of such a huge material is also difficult and costly.

☻This can be used as food material.

☻True seed is free from viruses and many other diseases as their management is easy due to small area. Cost of cultivation is also less.

Methods of use of True potato seed

1. To raise seedlings and then transplanting

2. Sowing of seed in nursery beds and then raising them for obtaining small sized potato tubers which are used for cultivation of the next crop. These seeds are sown in raised beds.

Problems associated with true potato seed

♣Very small and weak as compared to tomato, brinjal etc.

♣It is not grown very deep & also low application of fertilizers is required.

♣It very difficult to maintain optimum moisture conditions as it is sown very near to the surface.

♣Poor germination and unhealthy & weak nursery seedlings of potato creating problems to farmers.

♣Therefore, farmers are not so encouraged/enthusiastic to take up this venture on large scale cultivation.

Refined technique for raising TPS♣ Make nursery bed of size 2 m x 1m & then bricks

are laid on these beds.

♣ Fine soil and FYM in equal proportion is put on thse bricks making the surface 4-5 cm raised.

♣ Irrigation is given on the surface & the moisture is reaches to the surface through capillary action of the bricks.

♣ Sowing is done on this surface of the bricks.

♣ Seed is mixed with fine & well decomposed FYM & then put FYM on the raised surface for good germination or after broadcasting, the seed is covered with FYM.

♣ 3-4 small seeds are kept at equal spacing on one brick which is covered with FYM to raise small sized tubers.

♣ Irrigation is given upto the half level of bricks.