Common potato varieties and planting methods

Potatoes, as the world's fourth most important food crop, are not only nutritious but also widely used. If you want to successfully grow high-yield and high-quality potatoes, mastering the planting time and method is crucial. Let’s take a look below.

1. Planting time

The planting time of potatoes varies according to region and climatic conditions.

In northern my country, sowing is usually carried out in late April to early May. At this time, the soil temperature gradually rises, which is conducive to the germination and growth of potatoes.

In the southern region, planting can be divided into two seasons. Seeds are usually sown in spring from January to February, and in autumn from September to October.

It should be noted that the sowing time should be avoided as much as possible during high temperature or severe cold periods to ensure that potatoes can grow in a suitable environment.

2. Common potato varieties

1. Netherlands No. 15

The potato tubers are oval in shape, with smooth skin, yellow skin and yellow flesh. This variety has the characteristics of early maturity, high yield, good commercial quality, and is suitable for fresh consumption and processing .

2. Kexin No. 1

This is a medium to late maturing variety with oval tubers and white skin and flesh. It has strong stress resistance, wide adaptability and stable yield.

3. Ji Zhangshu No. 8

The potato is oval in shape, with a smooth skin, light yellow skin and white flesh. It has the advantages of high yield, disease resistance, and storage resistance, and can perform well in arid areas .

4. Atlantic Ocean

It is a medium to late maturing variety, with round tubers, slight reticulation on the surface, and white skin and flesh. It is a high-quality potato chip variety with a good taste.

3. Planting method

1. Variety selection

Choose suitable potato varieties based on local climate, soil conditions and market demand. High-quality varieties have good disease and pest resistance and high yield potential.

2. Seed potato processing

Choose healthy seed potatoes that are free of pests and diseases and have smooth skin. 1-2 weeks before sowing, place the seed potatoes in a warm, well-ventilated place to germinate. When the sprouts grow to 0.5-1 cm, cut them into pieces for later use. Each cut should have 1-2 strong buds.

3. Land preparation

Choose land with deep, fertile, loose soil and good drainage. Deeply plow the soil to a depth of 25-30 cm and apply sufficient base fertilizer, such as well-rotted farmyard manure, compound fertilizer , etc.

4. Planting seeds

Sow seeds in furrows with row spacing of 60-70 cm and plant spacing of 20-30 cm. Place the seed potato tubers in the trench with the buds facing upwards, and then cover with 8-10 cm of soil.

5. Field management

(1) Watering: During the growing period, keep the soil moist but avoid waterlogging. Especially during the flowering and tuber formation stages, water requirements are high.

(2) Fertilization: Apply fertilizer at appropriate times according to the growth of the plants. In the early stage, nitrogen fertilizer is mainly used to promote the growth of stems and leaves; in the later stage, phosphorus and potassium fertilizers are mainly used to promote the enlargement of tubers.

(3) Intertillage and weeding: Remove weeds in the field in a timely manner to avoid competing with potatoes for nutrients and water. At the same time, carry out inter-cultivation to loosen the soil and improve soil permeability.

6. Pest and disease control

Common diseases and pests include late blight, aphids, etc. Inspect the fields regularly and take appropriate preventive measures once pests and diseases are found, such as spraying pesticides and removing diseased plants.

7. Harvest

Potato plants can be harvested when most of their stems and leaves turn yellow and their tubers stop swelling. Be careful when harvesting to avoid damaging the tubers.

As long as you follow the above planting methods and time, and manage carefully, I believe you will be able to harvest a full basket of big and good potatoes!