Potatoes are a high-value crop, and achieving optimal yields requires careful planning and management. Here’s a concise guide to potato production for a 1-hectare plot:
1. Seed Selection & Planting
- Seed Requirement: 75–80 pockets (30 kg each) per hectare.
- Planting Time:
- Summer crop: November
- Winter crop: February–April
- Spring crop: Late July–Early August
- Spacing: 0.9m between rows, 0.3m within rows (~37,000 plants per hectare).
2. Fertilization Plan
- Basal Dressing:
- Compound C (5:15:12) – 1500 kg/ha OR
- High C (6:28:23) – 1000 kg/ha (Apply all at or before planting).
- Top Dressing:
- Ammonium Nitrate (34.5% N) – 200 kg/ha (split at 2–3 & 4–5 weeks).
- Calcium Nitrate – 100 kg/ha (75 kg before second ridging, 25 kg before lifting).
- Potassium Nitrate – 300 kg/ha (split at 4, 8 & 12 weeks).
- Soil Conditioning: Gypsum – 300 kg/ha at planting.
3. Pest & Disease Control
- Weeds: Use pre-emergent herbicides like Metribuzin, Metolachlor, or Alachlor.
- Pests: Control aphids, leafhoppers, and caterpillars with insecticides like Dimethoate, Carbaryl, and Malathion.
- Blight & Leaf Spots: Prevent with Azoxystrobin, Tebuconazole, and Copper Oxychloride.
4. Target Yield
- Standard Yield: 30–40 tons/ha.
- Enhanced Yield: Up to 60 tons/ha with better fertilization & Good Agronomic Practices (GAPs).