All about potatoes.pdf - Vegetableipmasia.org

5.
CULTIVATION PRACTICES
5.4 Planting
5.4.1 Planting time
A good time to plant potatoes is at the end of the dry season or the end of the rainy
season. It is best to determine when to plant by considering the critical period for
plants and how that will relate to environmental conditions. The critical period for
potato plants is during the vegetative growth stage. At this stage they should not get
too much rain or wind, or be too dry. Soil should be sufficiently moist when planting,
as moist soil can accelerate plant growth.
5.4.2 Planting method
When planting without mulch, place seeds at the planting points with their sprouts
facing upwards. Apply organic fertilizer to their left and right. Potato farmers generally
apply chemical fertilizer on top of the manure. This is not recommended as it is
untimely, unless the fertilizer contains phosphorus. Cover the seeds and manure with
soil to a thickness of 10-15 cm.
When planting with mulch, make raised seedbeds 40-60 cm high and 60-80 cm wide,
with a distance of 30 cm between the seedbeds. Make the seedbeds after tilling the
soil, and then cover them using black-silver plastic mulch with the silver side facing
upwards. Leave the raised seedbeds for one week, then make planting holes to suit
the desired plant spacing.
For monoculture planting, plant two rows of potatoes in one seedbed, but if you are
intercropping, plant only one row of potatoes in the middle, and plant the other crops
on the edges of the seedbeds. To do this, place seeds and manure into the planting
holes.
Plant spacing varies depending on region and variety. Granola potatoes are normally
planted with a spacing of 30 cm x 70 cm, or 25 cm x 75 cm.
5.4.3 Intercropping
You can intercrop potatoes with other plants such as kidney beans or spring onions.
These can be planted on the edges of the raised seedbeds.
How to plant:
• Plant two rows of kidney beans per seedbed between the rows of potatoes.
• Plant spring onions alternately to the sides of the potato plants.
Advantages of intercropping are:
• It provides another source of income for farmers.
• The other crop can trap or deter insect pests and reduce spread of disease.
• Intercropped plants can attract natural enemies. For instance, parasitoids prefer to
attack leafminer fly larvae on kidney beans planted among potato plants.
• Intercropping with pulses can improve soil fertility, as pulses can harness nitrogen
from the air.
Disadvantages are:
• Intercropping can increase plant density making the environment damper and
stimulating the development of diseases.
• The main and secondary crops compete for space and nutrients.
• The secondary plants can be a source of pests and diseases.
A HANDBOOK TO THE ECOLOGY AND INTEGRATED MANAGEMENT OF POTATO 25