Introduction
• Botanical name : Solanum tuberosum L.
(2n = 4x = 48 Tetraploid)
• Family: Solanaceae
• Origin: South America
• Potato is the fourth major food crop after rice, wheat and maize in the world
• highly dry matter, balanced protein and high calories/ unit area / unit time.
• Potato tubers contain vitamin-C (17 mg/100 g) and vitamin-B .
• It provides carbohydrates, minerals and fibre.
Nutritive value and Uses
• It is used mainly as vegetable
• It is also used in making of chips, halwa, kheer etc.
• The potato tuber contains an alkaloid (Solanine), if it is exposed to light.
• It is anti-scorbutic, diuretic and nervous sedative.
• Leaf extract is used as an antispasmodic in chronic cough.
Botany
• Tetraploid with 2n=4x=48 (x=12)
• Under cultivation, the crop is treated as an annual with a duration of 85-90 days
• Flowers are hermaphrodite and self pollinated.
• Mature fruit is a berry.
Climate
• Most varieties perform well when days are sunny and nights are cool.
• About 20 °C : good for tuber formation
• Tuberization reduces as the temperature increases.
• Tuberization : affected at 30*C
• At higher temperature, the respiration rate increases.
• For flowering, potato is a long day plant
Soil
• Wide range of soils.
• Soil should be friable, well aerated, well drained and well supplied with organic matter.
• Alkaline or saline soil is not suitable for potato cultivation.
• Well suited to acidic soils (pH 5.0 to 6.5)
• Well drained alluvial soils with almost neutral reaction are the best.
Season
• It has a wide range of seasonal adaptability.
• It is a summer crop in hills and a winter crop in plains.
• In Gangetic plains, sowing season is extended from mid September to mid January for about four months.
• In Punjab and Western UP, two crops in succession are taken in same land, first in Sept to Oct and second in Dec toJan
• In Nilgiri hills, when winter temperatures are not too low, three crops are raised in succession by planting in April, Aug and Jan.
Planting Time
In Plains:
• Early Crop: Third week of Sept. to first week of Oct.
• Main crop: First week of Oct. to third week of Oct.
• Late Crop: Third week of Oct. to first week of Nov.
In Hills:
Third week of Feb. to second week of Apr.
The Indian potato varieties maturity period:
• Early varieties- 70-80 days,
• Medium varieties- 90-100 days and
• Late varieties- 100-110 days
Potato Varieties
Kufri Jyoti, Kufri Muthu,
Kufri Swarna, Kufri Giriraj,
Kufri Kuber Kufri Kisan,
Kufri Naveen, Kufri Chamatkar,
Kufri Neelmani, Kufri Sheetman,
Kufri Alankar Kufri Jeevan,
Kufri Moti Kufri Lavkar
Kufri Dewa Kufri Jyoti
Kufri Lavkar Kufri Khyati
Kufri Sutlej Kufri Anan
Kufri Arun Kufri Pukhraj
Kufri Sadabahar Kufri Sindhuri
Kufri Badshah Kufri Chipsona 1
Kufri Chipsona 2 Kufri Chipsona 3
Alos Read : Cultivation technique of okra
Aiso Read : General terms related to agriculture processing engineering
Irrigation
• Irrigate the crop 10 days after planting.
• Subsequent irrigation should be given once in a week.
Manure and fertilisers :
• Apply 15 t/ha of FYM and 2 kg each of Azospirillum and Phosphobacterium as basal
• 120 kg N, 240 kg P and 120 kg K/ha in two splits;
• Half as basal and the balance for top dressing on 30 days after sowing.
• Apply Magnesium sulphate at 60 kg/ha as basal dose.
Weed Management :
• The critical period of weed-competition is upto 60 days
• It is essential to keep the field weed-free during that period.
• Take up the first hoeing on 45th day without disturbing stolons.
• Second hoeing and earthing can be taken up at 60th day.