All about potatoes.pdf - Vegetableipmasia.org
All about potatoes.pdf - Vegetableipmasia.org
All about potatoes.pdf - Vegetableipmasia.org
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
5.<br />
CULTIVATION PRACTICES<br />
5.5 Hilling up and weeding<br />
When you use mulch, hilling up is not necessary and weeding only involves pulling<br />
up those weeds present in planting holes or furrows between seed beds. When you<br />
do not use mulch, you should weed and hill up at the same time as applying fertilizer.<br />
Do this at least twice in a planting season; at 30 DAP and 50 DAP.<br />
Weed by pulling up weeds directly or by scraping them out of the soil with a hoe,<br />
collecting them and burying or composting them. If there are not so many weeds and<br />
those present are not grasses, dig them out and pile them up around the plants.<br />
Hilling up is done initially by loosening the soil around the potato plants, and piling it<br />
up around the plants. Seedbed height after the first hilling up should be around 30<br />
cm. For the second hilling up, remove soil from the furrows and pile it up around the<br />
plants. You should do this more carefully to avoid damaging the plant roots. Seedbed<br />
height after the second hilling up should be <strong>about</strong> 60 cm.<br />
Seedbeds for planting in the rainy season should be higher than those used in the<br />
dry season. This is to reduce soil moisture, which can stimulate development of plant<br />
diseases.<br />
Advantages of weeding and hilling up:<br />
• Covers fertilizer and prevents fertilizer loss resulting from evaporation or washing<br />
off.<br />
• Gets rid of weeds thus preventing competition between potato plants and weeds.<br />
• Loosens the soil helping potato plants to better develop roots.<br />
• Makes water flow more easily down the furrows and prevents flooding in the rainy<br />
season.<br />
• Improves environmental condition of the plants and the soil.<br />
• Covers potato tubers forming close to the surface of the soil, hence reducing the<br />
risk of damage from potato tuber moths.<br />
Disadvantages of weeding and hilling up:<br />
• Can damage potato plant root system.<br />
• Can cause lesions on the roots and tubers, thus increasing the risk of disease.<br />
5.6 Water management<br />
5.6.1 Irrigation systems<br />
Irrigation systems are systems that allow water to enter and leave the field. They<br />
should be planned and constructed before planting begins.<br />
Good irrigation systems:<br />
• Prevent the field from flooding.<br />
• Prevent the entry and spread of water-borne diseases.<br />
• Make it easy for water to enter the field when plants need it, especially in the dry<br />
season.<br />
Potato fields should have a minimum of three lengthwise and three transverse water<br />
channels. For each direction this implies two channels at the edges and at least one<br />
in the middle. These channels should be deeper than the furrows between the raised<br />
seedbeds.<br />
26<br />
ALL ABOUT POTATOES