All about potatoes.pdf - Vegetableipmasia.org

4.
SEED PREPARATION AND PRODUCTION
C. Prepare seed bed media
Seed beds in screen houses use a media made of a mixture of soil, sand and
manure in a ratio of 1:1:1. The mixture is sterilized (living organisms are removed) by
steaming it for approximately 7-10 hours. This can be done by using an old oil drum.
A layer of water is put in the drum and a sieve is placed above the water to stop the
soil from getting wet. The soil is placed on top of the sieve and bamboo sticks with
holes down its sides are stuck into the middle of the soil mixture to regulate the
temperature. After it has been steamed, the media is spread over the seedbed trays
and allowed to cool.
D. Planting materials and method
Tools needed in this process are a penknife and buckets. Materials necessary are
clean water (mineral drinking water can be used), 95% alcohol, root growth
stimulating chemicals (available in farming supplies shops), tray with media and seed
materials. All tools must be sterilized before use by wiping them with the 95%
alcohol. Seed materials that can be used are mini tubers and plantlets produced from
tissue culture.
How to plant:
• Mini tubers - Plant mini tubers with a spacing of 20 cm x 20 cm at a depth of 5 - 10
cm into the media.
• Tissue culture plantlets - Pull up tissue culture plantlets and clean their roots. You
must do this carefully to prevent roots and stems from breaking. Then plant them
with a spacing of 10 cm x 10 cm.
E. Plant care
Plants are tended while they are growing by removing those plant parts damaged by
pests and disease, as well as loosening media, applying fertilizer and watering. Soil
is loosened and hilled up at 14 DAP. Fertilizer is applied by spraying a solution of
compound fertilizer made by dissolving 5 grams of compound fertilizer in 1 liter of
water.
F. Taking cuttings for propagation
When seed material is growing well, take stem cuttings for propagation at about 8-15
DAP. These stem cuttings, taken from parent stock plants, should be about 3-4 cm
long (1-2 shoots), be dipped in a solution of a root growth stimulating chemical and
planted in different trays with plant spacing of 20 cm x 20 cm. Cuttings should be
taken in the afternoon taking care to use a sterile knife. After planting, shade parent
stock plants and stem cuttings with banana leaves. You may take cuttings five times
from each plant.
G. Harvesting
Harvesting takes place at 75 DAP, or when the plants start to die. Do this by
dismantling the soil around the plants. One plant typically produces 2-4 tubers each
weighting 10-20 grams. Select tubers based on their size and then store them. The
tubers can be used for seed to plant in the fields or propagated in a screen house to
produce the next generation of seed tubers.
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ALL ABOUT POTATOES