All about potatoes.pdf - Vegetableipmasia.org

5.
CULTIVATION PRACTICES
5.6.2 Watering
Watering potato plants is very important in the dry season. Sloping fields in potato
planting regions make water management a crucial factor in the success of potato
crops. You can irrigate plants in two ways; by using water channels or by watering
using hoses, buckets, etc. Table 9 below shows the advantages and disadvantages
of the two irrigation methods.
Table 9: Advantages and disadvantages of irrigation methods in potato production
Using irrigation channels
Using hoses, buckets, etc.
Advantages
Disadvantages
• Makes the fields wetter
• More even distribution of water across
the field
• Less expensive
• Difficult to do if the water source is far
away and/or lower than the field
• Water flowing in or between fields can
spread water-borne diseases
• Requires a complicated system of
irrigation channels
• Can be done even when the water
source is far from the field
• Prevents water-borne diseases being
carried into the field
• Does not require a complicated system
of irrigation channels
• Watered areas not very wet and
watering is uneven across the field.
• Require more expensive equipment
• Is labor intensive
5.6.3 Water management and water-borne diseases
Water can lead to an increase in diseases in the following ways:
• Increases in moisture levels around plants, caused by flooding for example, can
lead to rises in leaf blight, stem-end rot and bacterial wilt.
• Water can carry diseases from one plant to another. Water-borne diseases
include bacterial wilt and tuber dry rot.
Proper water management in potato fields is essential in preventing the above from
occurring. Key points are:
• Water should be able to exit the field easily when it rains.
• If bacterial wilt is discovered, it is best to water using hoses or buckets to prevent
it from spreading in water flowing on the surface of the soil.
5.7 Crop rotation
Reasons for rotating crops are:
• Avoiding increased levels of pest and disease damage. Potatoes cannot be
planted two to three times in a row. Increased populations of pests and diseases
from one generation to the next make it difficult to achieve satisfactory harvests
with the next crop. This is particularly a concern for Golden Cyst Nematode.
Bacterial wilt will increase in prevalence in the second and third consecutive
crops, leading to a substantial reduction in yield. Even though bacterial wilt
survives for about two years in the soil, rotation with other plants, particularly corn,
cabbage and sweet potato, can reduce levels of infection in the next potato crop.
• Exploiting the most appropriate time for planting potatoes. The success of a potato
crop is influenced by the weather. High rainfall and drought can both cause potato
crop failure. During certain months of the year, farmers should substitute their
potato crops with other safer plants.
A HANDBOOK TO THE ECOLOGY AND INTEGRATED MANAGEMENT OF POTATO 27