After covering the various features of different Potato varieties in Kenya and the growth stages of a potato plant, we now handle the appropriate planting time, recommended spacing, fertilizer application, and earthling-up.
Since drip irrigation in potatoes is costly, Planting is done at the onset of the rains (long and short) since most production in the country is rain-fed. Planting is done twice a year with a Seeding rate of 800 – 1,000 kg per acre.
Do you know your potato varieties well? Here are the key features of common potato varieties.
It is recommended that the sprouts be spaced 20-30cm (intra-row) and 60-90cm (inter-row) with a planting depth of 10cm. The sprouts should face upwards and be covered by a layer of soil.
DAP fertilizer can be used during planting at about one kilogram for a 25m furrow. Excess use of nitrogen fertilizers encourages vegetative growth at the expense of tuber formation.
Learn the various growth stages of a potato plant.
Potatoes require an average of about 850-1200mm of rainfall during the growing period. Low or fluctuating rainfall tends to contribute to scrab, hollow heart, low dry matter, and tuber set. This lowers the quality and, thus, prices.
How earthling-up is done and its importance
It’s recommended to ridge or earth up the rows gradually as the potatoes grow. Start weeding when the crop grows 15-20cm tall and repeat every two weeks three times, with the final ridging done before the plant starts to bloom.
Do note earth-up when the soil is wet to avoid compaction. A well-built hill helps control weeds, prevents the greening of tubers, and reduces attacks by potato tuber moths.
Reference: SHEP-PLUS
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