What conditions are necessary for growing potatoes? How to grow potatoes in a summer cottage?
South America is the birthplace of potatoes. And today you can find its wild varieties there. It is a plant from the nightshade family and is related to eggplant, peppers and tomatoes.
➣ Some vegetable crops are completely unpretentious, for example, rutabaga, cabbage, onions, carrots, parsnips, parsley, radishes, lettuce, beets, spinach.
In Russia, potatoes began to be eaten relatively recently - just over 200 years ago. In the modern world, potatoes have become one of the most important food products for many people, for which they have earned the title “second bread”. It contains a very large amount of starch, which is therefore in second place after cereals. Therefore, due to their role in nutrition, potatoes are often classified as starchy foods.
Useful properties of potatoes
Potatoes contain many vitamins, such as C, PP, D, K, E, group B, folic acid and carotene with carotenoids, potassium salts and many other useful elements. In addition to potassium and sodium salts, it contains mineral compounds of calcium, magnesium and manganese, iodine and copper, sulfur, phosphorus, fluorine and chlorine. The composition of potato tubers includes a small amount of complete proteins and sterols; citric, malic, oxalic and other organic acids.
The main biological feature of the potato plant is its ability to form tubers on underground stems-stolons. The tuber has eyes - these are buds that appear in the axils of scaly, underdeveloped leaves. The maximum number of eyes is in the upper part of the tuber, i.e. at the top. The fewest of them are in the lower, umbilical part of the tuber, which is attached to the stolon.
Potatoes have a fibrous root system; most of it is located in the fertile soil layer at a depth of 20-25 cm.
Necessary conditions for growing potatoes. Agricultural technology for growing potatoes
Potatoes love light, sandy, fertile, loose soil with a slightly acidic reaction. The most favorable soil for plants is a soil with a pH value of 5.5-6. Stolons and tubers develop well in loose soil, because the potato root system consumes more oxygen than the roots of other plants. Normal access of oxygen to the root system ensures good taste and friability of the tubers. In dense, clayey soil with increased moisture, small and often severely deformed tubers with low taste are formed. Before planting potatoes, compost and sand must be added to such soils to improve physical properties. Although potatoes can withstand high acidity, they also respond well to liming.
Potato is a light-loving plant. Shaded places are not suitable for its cultivation. Lack of light leads to the stems stretching and turning pale. The plant blooms poorly and produces very small tubers or few tubers. Under normal conditions, the plant stem reaches 40 - 80 cm in height. Early potatoes are grown in a well-lit area where the soil is sufficiently warm.
Potatoes are planted only in an area dug up in the fall to a depth of 25-30 cm. The shallow fertile layer is gradually deepened, adding 3-5 cm every year, thus gradually increasing the depth to 28-30 cm.
Before digging, add 30-50 kg of rotted manure or good compost for every 10 m2. Fresh manure creates a risk of tubers becoming infected with various diseases. Along with organic matter, it is advisable to add wood ash - 1-1.5 buckets for every 10 m2. On poor and sandy soils, organic matter is introduced in large volumes - 70-90 kg for every 10 m 2.
In the fall, phosphorus and potassium fertilizers are scattered and covered: per 1 m2 - 20-25 g of double granulated superphosphate and potassium sulfate. If fertilizers were not applied to the soil in the fall, this is done when digging the site in the spring.
In the absence of organic fertilizers, mineral fertilizers are used: in a volume of 150-200 g of ammonium nitrate or 300-500 g of ammonium sulfate, 500 g of superphosphate or 100-150 g of urea per 10 m 2. It is advisable to replace ammonium nitrate with ammonium sulfate, and potassium chloride with potassium sulfate or potassium magnesium, which also contains magnesium. The addition of magnesium, especially in acidic soils, improves the quality of tubers (starchiness). Intensive phosphorus-potassium nutrition accelerates crop ripening and increases plant resistance to diseases and low temperatures.
Nitrogen fertilizers are added only in spring. When cultivating potatoes, they are treated with caution. Excess nitrogen increases disease damage. Tubers that have accumulated nitrates are worse stored. Excess nitrogen with a simultaneous lack of potassium causes darkening of the tuber pulp and loss of taste.
The soil for potatoes cannot be fertilized with ammonium chloride, sodium chloride and kainite. It does not tolerate the effects of chloride salts, which reduce yield and worsen the taste and starchiness of tubers.
It is best to plant potatoes after cabbage and various root vegetables. It cannot be cultivated after tomatoes. They have common pests and pathogens. You can repeat planting potatoes in the same place only after 2-3 years.
Potato propagation is carried out vegetative way using healthy large tubers weighing 60-100 g, whole or carved. Such tubers produce a harvest earlier and more than small ones.
The preparation of tubers for planting begins in the fall. First of all, they are greened immediately after harvesting, then solanine is formed in them, giving them resistance against putrefactive bacteria. It is best to plant selected tubers early varieties, spreading them out in 1-2 layers in an open area in a shaded place. During the greening period (8-15 days), the tubers need to be turned over 2-3 times. These potatoes should never be eaten or fed to animals, because solanine is poisonous.
➣ Crops that do not require light include vegetable plants from the group of cabbage, onions, greens, root vegetables and all perennials.
During storage, make sure that the tubers are well ventilated and do not sprout. Tubers are germinated only before planting. Tubers lose a lot of water during storage, so keep them in water before sprouting. room temperature approximately 10-12 hours. Then they will germinate well and give high yield. The tubers are laid out for germination 30-45 days in advance. In order to receive ultra-early products, this must be done 60-75 days before planting. For germination, the tubers are laid out in a bright room in a single layer on the floor, shelves, racks, shelves or in small boxes.
In the first week, seed potatoes should be kept at a temperature of +18-20 °C, and later at + 10-15 °C. If there is no suitable room for laying out the tubers, a small number of them can be sprouted by stringing them on twine, wire or nylon fishing line. Stringed tubers are hung on the veranda or in another bright place. For the same purpose, use plastic film: pour the tubers into bags made from it. In the bags, holes of 1.5-2 cm in diameter are made every 10-12 cm. Bags with tubers are hung in a bright room, from time to time they are turned in different directions and the potatoes lying in them are transferred. Every 6-10 days, the tubers are inspected and those with diseased or thread-like sprouts are removed.
If it is intended to obtain very early products, the sprouted potatoes are checked again after 28-32 days. Throw away all diseased and degenerate tubers. Healthy tubers are placed in a box for wet germination, sprinkled with humus, peat or sawdust in the following sequence. First, pour a layer of humus or other material 3-4 cm thick, put the tubers on top with the sprouts facing up, carefully covering them with a layer of material. This is how 3-4 rows of tubers are laid. It is best to moisten the humus with a solution of mineral fertilizers. A bucket of water contains 60 g of superphosphate and 40 g of potassium sulfate. After 5-6 days, the transfer material is again watered with the solution until completely moistened, adding 40 g of ammonium nitrate to the fertilizer.
You can carry out wet germination without preliminary exposure to light. To do this, the tubers are immediately laid out and processed in the described way. It is advisable to maintain the temperature in the room within +14-18 °C. You can speed up the germination of tubers by dusting them with stove ash or spraying them with a solution copper sulfate. For 10 liters of water - 1 g, 150 g of solution per 10 kg of seeds.
Tubers of mid-late and late-ripening varieties, allocated for harvesting in August-September for winter storage and consumption, should be heated for 7-10 days at a temperature of +10-15 °C. If possible, they are also sprouted.
Periods of growth and development.
Table 1
Dates of onset of vegetation phases
| Vegetation phases | Onset date | Duration of interphase periods, days | Depth of the root system by phases, see. |
| Landing | II ten days of May | 15-20 | 12 |
| Shoots | May 30-June 6 | 18-22 | 20 |
| Budding | June 21-25 | 15-25 | 60 |
| Bloom | July 7-17 | 20-25 | 120 |
| Withering of the tops | August 5-9 | 10-15 | 150 |
The depth of the root system by phase is indicated at the beginning of the development phase.
There are five main periods in the development of potatoes.
The first period is from germination of tubers to emergence of seedlings. When a biological minimum temperature occurs in the tuber, the intensity of respiration increases and starch is converted into sugar, which moves through the vascular bundles to the axillary buds of the tuber - the eyes. The buds in the eyes swell and sprout. The eyes of the apical part of the tuber are more viable and germinate before the lower ones. This phenomenon is called apical dominance (apical germination). To obtain more shoots per tuber, apical shoots are removed before pre-germination.
The second period is from the emergence of seedlings to the beginning of the formation of generative organs. During this period, active formation of stems, leaves and root systems occurs.
The third period is from the appearance of buds to the flowering of plants. The first period of stolon formation. Having reached a certain size, the last internode of the stolon thickens and a young tuber is formed. During this period, intensive growth of tops continues, plants require the greatest amount of moisture and nutrients. At this stage, the mass of tops increases. The growth of tubers is insignificant. Tuber formation begins 2...5 weeks after emergence. Typically, one stem forms from 2.5 to 4.5 tubers, and the weight ranges from 90... 100 to 350... 400 g, so if you keep only one stem in the bush, you can get at least 4 additional tubers in addition to the existing ones. .5 tons of products from 1 hectare. The number of main stems depends on the mass of the tuber, the size of the sprouts, the physiological state of the planting material, and cultivation technology. The optimal stem density is 200...220 thousand stems per 1 hectare.
The fourth period covers flowering and continues until the tops stop growing, almost until they begin to wither; at this time, the most intensive growth of tubers occurs and up to 65...75% of the final harvest is formed. Weather conditions during this period affect the harvest. In some years, the average daily increase in tuber yield reaches 2.5...2.8 t/ha. Increases of 1.0...1.5 t/ha in certain relatively short periods are observed almost everywhere.
The fifth period is from the cessation of top growth and the beginning of its death to the physiological maturation of tubers. The growth of tubers still continues, but less intensively than in the fourth period. From the withering tops, a significant part of the nutrients goes into the tubers. The accumulation of substances in the tubers is completed, the tubers reach physiological ripeness and enter a dormant state.
Depending on the variety, degree of maturity, and storage conditions, tubers can remain in a state of natural dormancy for 2...4 months. Next, to prevent premature germination, potato tubers are placed in conditions of forced dormancy, reducing the air temperature during storage to 2...4°C.
The duration of each period is different for varieties of different early ripening. U early ripening varieties from germination to the beginning of flowering, depending on the weather, it takes 27...36 days, for mid-season - 38, for late-ripening - 46...48 days. Intensive accumulation of harvest in early-ripening varieties continues for 26...28 days, in mid-early varieties - 34...36, and in mid- and late-ripening varieties - for 43...45 days.
Heat requirements. Potatoes are a temperate climate crop. Growth processes slow down at soil temperatures below 7...8 and above 25 °C. Increased soil temperature promotes greater formation and branching of trunks, i.e., leads to increased growth phenomena to the detriment of tuber yield.
At prolonged air temperatures above 30 C, the assimilation activity of potato leaves almost stops, which leads to a stop in the growth of tubers and the coarsening of their skin. During such periods, the intensity of respiration increases, the consumption of carbohydrates exceeds their accumulation, which delays tuberization.
Tubers that have passed the dormant period and are planted in the soil begin to germinate at a temperature of 3...5 ° C, but very weak growth and development of buds occurs without the formation of a root system. Temperatures of -1°C are detrimental to potato tubers, which is primarily due to their high (up to 75% or more) water content. However, in some years, due to the gradual cooling of the tubers in the autumn and the accumulation of a significant amount of sugar in them (sometimes up to 8%), they can even overwinter in the soil.
Tubers exposed to low positive temperatures during storage acquire a sweet taste due to the formation of sugars. When the tubers are then kept at room temperature, the sugars turn into starch and normal taste is restored.
Potato roots usually form when the soil temperature is not lower than 70C. At lower temperatures, planted tubers lie in the soil for a long time; new tubers can form on their surface due to the available nutrients without the appearance of above-ground organs. This phenomenon can often be observed when planting potatoes in cold, waterlogged soil or, conversely, in too dry soil. The optimal temperature for germination of tubers is 18...200C. In this case, seedlings appear on the 10...12th day after planting, while at a soil temperature of 7°C, seedlings often appear after 30...35 and even 50 days. The best conditions for tuber formation occur when the soil temperature is 16...19°C.
The sum of active temperatures (100C and above) during the growing season, necessary for the full development of plants of early and mid-early varieties, is on average 1000...1400C, late-ripening - 1400...1600C.
Moisture requirements. Potatoes are a plant that requires soil moisture. Its transpiration coefficient is 400...550. The moisture requirement of potatoes varies according to growth phases. For potato germination, the moisture from the mother tuber is sufficient. Therefore, dry and warm weather during this period is most favorable for potato development. The critical period is the beginning of flowering phase. Lack of moisture in the soil during this period leads to a significant reduction in tuber yield.
The most favorable conditions for the growth and development of potatoes are created when soil moisture is from 60 to 100% MPV.
To ensure high potato yields in middle lane It is necessary that at least 300 mm of precipitation fall during the growing season.
Light requirements. According to the modern photoperiodic classification of plants, cultivated potato varieties are classified as short-day plants, but in mid-latitude conditions they can be cultivated with long days. Shortening the length of the day speeds up plant development. A long day enhances the growth of tops, the power of which determines the amount of photosynthesis products necessary for the growth of tubers. Therefore, the total yield of tubers with long days is usually higher than with short days. However, this cannot serve as a basis for classifying potatoes as long-day plants.
Potatoes are rightly considered a light-loving plant. Even with a slight decrease in lighting, yellowing of the tops, elongation of the stems, weakening or complete absence of flowering and a decrease in tuber yield are observed. Excessively thickened or sparse plantings cannot ensure high potato yields.
Potato tubers that have been exposed to light for several days after being dug out of the soil turn green - chlorophyll and solanine are formed in them. Under the influence of direct or diffuse light, the solanine content increases from 2...10 to 30...40 mg per 100 g of tubers. Solanine is then converted into solanine glycosyl, which is an antiseptic substance. For seed potatoes, such landscaping is useful, since thanks to it the tubers are reliably protected from diseases and rodents during autumn-winter storage.
Soil requirements. Potatoes are not very picky about soil conditions, but they produce the greatest yields on well-cultivated, aerated soils, since their root system is very sensitive to the lack of oxygen in the soil. The root system experiences the highest need for oxygen during the period of tuberization. To have a sufficient amount of oxygen in the soil, it is necessary to keep it loose. Loose soil promotes good development of stolons and young tubers, which in compacted soil are small and often severely deformed.
Potatoes form a good harvest on medium and heavy loams with a soil density of 1.1...1.2 g/cm 3, on light sandy and loamy soils - 1.4... 1.5 and on medium loamy chernozems - 0.9 ...1.1 g/cm 3 . Potato seedlings on compacted (up to 1.35...1.50 g/cm 3), loamy soils appear 5...6 days later than on loose soils (with a density of 1.1...1.2 g /cm 3).
Potatoes can be successfully grown on fertilized sandy loam and loamy chernozems. In the Non-Chernozem Zone, well-cultivated soddy-podzolic and gray forest soils are suitable for it. Cultivated peat bogs are also widely used for potatoes, especially when grown for seed purposes. Due to the high assimilation capacity of the root system, potatoes can grow on relatively poor soils, but one cannot count on high yields of tubers. Heavy loams and highly compacted soils, especially when standing close together groundwater, are unsuitable for potatoes, as are saline soils.
Potatoes tolerate slightly acidic soils relatively well, especially when applied with organic fertilizers. The best conditions for plant growth are created at pHsol 5...6. On strongly acidic and alkaline soils, potato development slows down.
Battery requirements. Potatoes have increased nutrient requirements. This is due to a large accumulation of dry matter and an underdeveloped root system. On average, from 1 ton of tubers, potatoes yield, kg: N - 5...6, P2 O5 - 1.5...2.0, K2O -7...10, Ca -4 and Mg - 2. In the first During the life of a potato plant, it requires few nutrients. This is explained by the fact that in the initial period of development, potatoes largely satisfy their nutritional needs from the nutrients of the mother tuber.
Ware potatoes should be protected from greening, as this will give them an unpleasant bitter-tart taste and become poisonous.
Potatoes consume the greatest amount of nutrients during the period of budding - flowering, when there is an intensive increase in the above-ground mass and the formation of tubers. Towards the end of the growing season, the consumption of nutrients decreases and at the beginning of the death of the tops it completely stops.
With a lack of nitrogen in the soil, the above-ground organs of the potato develop poorly, the foliage of the plants decreases, the productivity of the leaf apparatus, the yield and starchiness of the tubers decrease. With excess nitrogen nutrition, excessive growth of tops is observed, the formation of tubers is delayed and the growing season is extended; plant resistance to various diseases. With normal nitrogen nutrition, the potato plant absorbs potassium and phosphorus better.
A good supply of potatoes with phosphorus helps accelerate plant development, starting from the emergence of seedlings. Other phases of development begin faster, the root system is formed, the period of tuberization begins earlier, the yield and starchiness of tubers increases, their keeping quality increases, and seed qualities improve.
Phosphorus deficiency is more common in acidic soils. Thanks to liming of acidic soils, the content of aluminum and iron in the soil solution decreases, phosphorus becomes more available to plants. When humidity is low, the supply of phosphorus to the plant becomes very difficult. A decrease in soil temperature to 8...10°C and below also has a negative effect on the supply of phosphorus.
Potassium, playing a large role in the processes of photosynthesis, protein and carbohydrate metabolism, significantly affects the yield and quality (especially starchiness) of potatoes, and increases resistance to disease. Potassium plays an exceptional role in the native regime of plants: it increases cell turgor, thereby maintaining internal pressure in plant tissues. With potassium starvation, the growth and development of potatoes and its anatomical and morphological structure are disrupted; Mechanical tissues and the root system develop weaker. Tubers with a lack of potassium acquire a somewhat elongated shape, are small, and are poorly stored in winter. Potassium fertilizer containing a lot of chlorine reduces the starchiness of tubers.
Varieties. Cultivation of potatoes requires constant renewal of seed material, since this crop is affected by viruses, bacterial and fungal diseases, which cause a sharp decrease in yield. According to the Research Institute of Agriculture, the most significant (up to 30%) reduction in yield occurs when tubers below V reproduction are used for planting. The speed and degree of deterioration in productive qualities also depend on the state of seed potato agricultural technology and soil and climatic conditions.
The ecological degeneration of potatoes manifests itself unevenly across geographic zones. In areas with favorable conditions for the crop and low spread of viral diseases, potatoes can remain healthy for a long time and maintain high yields. In accordance with the seed production system, the terms of acceptable use of the potential capabilities of elite tubers are defined and strictly regulated. Farms for growing commercial potatoes must use seed material of at least III...V reproduction, therefore optimal time renewal of planting material should be considered a period of 3...5 years.
Typically, a potato variety remains relatively resistant to late blight and other diseases for 8...10 years after zoning. Then it begins to lose this property, as new races of pathogens appear. The accumulation of pathogen races depends, first of all, on the concentration of plantings of one variety, therefore the cultivation of one or several varieties with the same resistance to the same pathogen race in large areas contributes to the massive development of the disease.
One potato variety should be replaced with another after 5...7 years.
Early and mid-early varieties form marketable tubers 2 months after planting. In mid-season and mid-late varieties, tubers are formed no earlier than the second half of July.
In the Central Non-Black Earth Region, spring and the first half of summer are usually favorable for potatoes, but the second half of summer can be extremely dry. Under these conditions, early-ripening varieties have an advantage, as they manage to form a fairly high yield of tubers. In dry, unfavorable weather in spring and the first half of summer, mid-season and mid-late varieties are in the best conditions. Therefore, farms should grow 2...3 varieties of different early maturity.
According to their economic purpose, potato varieties are divided into table varieties, technical (factory) and universal.
Table varieties include varieties of different ripeness that have good nutritional and taste qualities.
Technical varieties are mainly considered to be late-ripening potato varieties with a high starch content of 18...25% or more. They are used for processing into starch, amylose, alcohol, etc.
The universal group includes mainly mid-season and mid-late varieties, characterized by high yield, good taste, non-darkening tuber pulp, high starch and protein content, as well as good shelf life. Such varieties are used for food, technical and feed purposes.
The most common early ripening varieties are: Alena, Almaz, Bimonda, Bryansk early, Dolphin, Zhukovsky early, Karatop, Krasnoyarsky early, Leader, Pushkinets, Rosara, Bullfinch, Udacha, Fresco, Latona
Potatoes are a plant of moderately cool climates with relatively high air humidity. In the Northern Hemisphere of Eurasia it is grown mainly between 40 and 60° N, in North America - between 40 and 50° N. w. In the Southern Hemisphere, the main growing regions are located in the south of the continent.
Since potatoes of different ripeness groups differ in the length of the growing season (from 60 to 170 days), they can adapt well to different climatic conditions. Despite its sensitivity to frost, it is grown in more northern regions and at higher altitudes than cereals.
Potato tops freeze at temperatures from -1.5 to -1.7 °C, tubers - at soil temperatures from -1 to -2 °C. In the spring, at temperatures below -2 °C, the potato tops die, but when positive temperatures set in, they grow back, however, in these cases, the yield of tubers is sharply reduced due to the slow development of plants.
Potatoes begin to grow when the soil temperature reaches 8 °C, and those planted with sprouted tubers - at 4...6 °C. In the phase of growth and tuber formation, the optimal average daily soil temperature is 17 °C (daytime 20 °C and night - 12...14 °C). The growth and development of potato plants is inhibited if the temperature rises to 29...30 °C. In this case, tubers do not form or become sluggish, their flesh turns black from necrosis caused by heat, and when they germinate, thread-like sprouts appear. The optimal average daily air temperature for potato assimilation is about 20 °C (daytime 25 °C, night 16 °C). At temperatures above 30 °C, potato plants are severely inhibited. The sum of temperatures for the germination of early potato varieties is 1000...1400 °C, for later varieties - 1400...2000 °C.
The moisture requirement of potatoes is average compared to other cultivated plants. The transpiration coefficient (the amount of water required to produce 1 kg of dry weight) is approximately 550 l/kg of dry weight.
To produce 100 c/ha of dry matter (500 c of tubers/ha), approximately 3 thousand tons of water (300...400 mm of precipitation) are required. But the need of potatoes for water at different periods of development is not the same. For its germination, moisture from the mother tuber is sufficient. In this phase, potatoes do not depend on soil moisture and only need heat and oxygen. Therefore, a dry spring with rapid warming of the soil and the possibility of planting potatoes earlier are favorable for it. Before tuberization begins, its moisture requirement is low, but then an adequate water supply is required until the end of flowering. At the end of growth and development, its need for water decreases again. The high moisture content at this time still promotes the growth of tubers, but they are formed with a low dry matter content, have loose skin and the associated low quality and are poorly stored.
Depending on the ripeness group, different varieties of potatoes in different time require maximum moisture. In Central Europe, early potatoes with a short growing season need this from mid-May to the end of June, for mid-early varieties this period is from June to July, and for later varieties - from July, August and the first half of September. Therefore, the risk when growing potatoes, depending on the uneven distribution of precipitation during the growing season and the difference in its amount between years, can be reduced by using varieties of different ripeness groups.
Due to its weak cuticle and low osmotic pressure, potatoes are a hydrophilic plant, i.e. more adapted to humid conditions. It is very sensitive to sudden changes in temperature and humidity. Therefore, in many regions, water supply is the main task for achieving stable and high yields, especially during the period of tuber formation and growth. Potatoes require 5...6 mm of water per day from the soil moisture reserve.
Potatoes tolerate short-term droughts, but during long dry periods (less than 50% of normal field moisture capacity), the yield is greatly reduced. Under such conditions, plants stop growing, tuber phellogen dies and the cork layer becomes hard. With subsequent precipitation, the growth of tubers is not restored, which leads to the regrowth of their tops and the formation of constrictions and children. After a period of optimal water supply, which promotes strong growth of tops, even minor disturbances in the water regime lead to a decrease in yield (Lebedeva V.A., 2010).
Potatoes are not very picky about soil conditions. It grows best and produces a high yield of good quality tubers on sufficiently aerated, loose, crumbling and easily warmed soil, but with appropriate agricultural technology it can be grown on almost any soil. Soil reaction (pH) in the range of 4.5...7.5 is most suitable for growing potatoes if the soil has good buffer capacity.
Loamy soils and sandy loams are especially suitable for growing potatoes. If there is a good supply of moisture (close groundwater or sufficient precipitation), sandy soils are also suitable. On heavier loams and clay soils with poor aeration that warm up slowly in the spring, yields are usually lower. In autumn, when the weather is rainy, such soils make it difficult to harvest tubers with potato harvesters. To improve the structure, these soils require large quantities of organic fertilizers and intensive cultivation. Even on marshy soils, high yields can be obtained through the use of appropriate varieties. However, the danger of late frosts on such soils does not allow early planting. Swampy soils require the use of special agricultural technology.
Based on the above, the following conclusions can be drawn:
Potatoes require, first of all, loose soil, free from weeds, which does not provide strong mechanical resistance to the growth of stolons and tubers, is easily permeable to air and contains a sufficient, but not excessive amount of moisture. To obtain progressively increasing potato yields from year to year, it is necessary that environmental conditions fully comply with the biological requirements of the potato plant. In properly organized crop rotation, using mobile agricultural technology, it is possible to provide all the necessary conditions for obtaining high potato yields.
These conditions are as follows:
Weed control;
Creation of the necessary water-air regime and mineral nutrition;
Ensures harvesting by forming screenable, clod-free ridges.
Thus, in the practice of potato growing, finding methods and working bodies aimed at destroying weeds and creating ridges with a fine-lumpy soil structure is the most important task of potato cultivation (Telepov O.A., 2012).
There are several answers to the question of what temperature potatoes can withstand. It all depends on the condition of the vegetable exposed to low temperatures.
At what temperature do potatoes freeze?
This plant formed its species characteristics in the tropical climate of Central America. The climate of this region, however, is characterized by periodic seasonal droughts, from which tubers save potatoes. As soon as the rainy season occurs, the buds in the tubers sprout and the plant begins to vegetate again.
Thanks to the plant's adaptation to such a seasonal rhythm, the whole world has nourishing and affordable food.
Potatoes grown in climatic zone with a frosty winter, it does not grow without human care, since no one else can provide the tubers with off-season rest.
The temperature regime for potatoes is determined by its three states:
- Off-season rest. In frosty winters, the main problem is to protect the tubers from germination, rotting and drying out.
- The presence of tubers in the soil at positive temperatures. Temperature changes in spring and autumn can damage tubers, which leads to two consequences: loss of germination ability and reduction nutritional value. In addition, potatoes that are frozen before harvesting will not be stored; they will have to be disposed of immediately.
- Actively photosynthetic green mass. Potato leaves are very sensitive to temperature changes, so late spring frosts are extremely undesirable for them.
How to store potatoes at home (video)
What temperature conditions should be maintained during winter storage to prevent potatoes from freezing?
The safety of potato tubers during winter storage depends on many factors, so it is impossible to answer the question at what temperature the potatoes should be stored.
In order for your harvest to survive safely until spring or at least mid-winter, you must provide it with the following conditions:
- Complete darkness. Obeying its biological clock, potatoes will still begin to germinate in the spring, but darkness will allow this process to be postponed to a later date.
- Moderate humidity. The room where potatoes are stored should not be damp. The optimal humidity regime can be easily determined without instruments. Indicators are organisms that always live in such enclosed spaces. If mold is visible here, other fungi grow, colonies of bacteria appear, arthropods called wood lice run around, then vegetables cannot be stored in such a room. If the potatoes are too dry, they will not rot, but will begin to lose moisture and wrinkle.
- No drafts. Wind creates risks of temperature and moisture changes. In winter, with severe frosts, there is a real danger of getting frozen potatoes instead of a good product.
If all these conditions are met, a constant air temperature in the range from +2 to +3° can be considered the most favorable. Of course, it would be better to store potatoes at temperatures around zero. However, this is risky: you might not follow through and end up with a negative temperature. Even a short-term drop in temperature to negative values can lead to significant yield loss.
What to do when the temperature drops below zero
If potatoes are frozen in the underground, then you need to:
- do not panic;
- determine the magnitude of the temperature drop below zero;
- try to establish the duration of such a decrease;
- identify the cause of the temperature drop.
In other words, you need to analyze the situation and assess the scale of the disaster. The result of such an analysis should be a conclusion about whether the potatoes were frozen or only slightly damaged by negative temperatures.
In any case, a final assessment of the consequences can only be made by taking an inventory of stocks. If the potatoes are just frozen, then the tuber will be damaged in some part. However, this verdict is not so comforting: the damaged tuber will now begin to rot. Such potatoes cannot be stored; they urgently need to be disposed of.
If negative temperatures persist for a long time, this can only mean one thing - the potatoes are frozen. Of course, you can no longer use it as a product for sale, but it is quite suitable for food. We eat fresh frozen vegetables.
Frozen potatoes do not lose their nutritional value. It’s just that when exposed to negative temperatures, some of the substances turn into sugars, and the potatoes become sweetish. Some people find their charm in this. You can’t eat sprouted and rotting potatoes, but you can and even should eat frozen ones. Just cook it immediately in boiling water, without defrosting it first.
Temperature range of adaptations for growing potatoes
This vegetable's sensitivity to temperature varies depending on what stage of growth it is in.
On average, the viability of potatoes is designed for a temperature range from +3 to +30°C. However, the optimal temperature is in the range of 20-25°. All other indicators are acceptable, but extreme.
Negative temperatures are definitely unacceptable for vegetative plants. If the potato tops froze as a result of late spring frosts, then there is still a possibility of renewed growth from other buds of the tuber or from those shoots that did not have time to rise above the soil level. However, it is better to replant with new tubers.
But what to do if you didn’t have time to dig up the potatoes, and the first frosts have already appeared? Here you need to take into account 2 factors: the magnitude of the negative temperature and its duration. Typically, the first frosts occur in the range from -2 to -5° and last no more than 12-15 hours. The soil, especially loose soil and with a large amount of organic matter, maintains a positive temperature under such conditions. Moreover, the temperature difference between the soil and the atmospheric air sometimes reaches ten degrees. This means that at an air temperature of, for example, -5°, the soil can maintain a temperature of +5°, or even more.
How to grow potatoes (video)
Over time, the soil cools down and begins to freeze, but in agricultural regions this happens gradually, over the course of ten days or even more. So every potato grower usually has a week or a week and a half left to save the crop after the first frost.
What conditions are needed for growing potatoes?
Everything about growing potatoes
Potato- a relatively cool summer plant. The following temperatures are most favorable for the development of potatoes at different stages: for germination of eyes - +5-7°C. Full growth of the above-ground mass is possible only with sufficient development of roots, which are formed, as a rule, at a temperature not lower than +7°C. At lower temperatures, planted tubers lie in the soil for a long time without forming a root system. At the same time, due to the available nutrients, new tubers can form on them without the appearance of tops. This phenomenon is often observed when planting potatoes in cold, waterlogged soil with a temperature below +7°C or, conversely, in too dry soil at a temperature above +25°C.
Shoots potatoes They develop better in cool, damp weather. During this period, young plants are sensitive to heat and dry winds. The most favorable temperature for tops growth is +15-20°C. The maximum growth of tops occurs at a temperature of +17-22°C. A decrease in temperature to +1-1.5°C and high relative air humidity lead to the death of plants.
The most intense tuberization occurs when the soil warms up to +15-19°C. For tuber growth early varieties favorable temperature is +15-17°C, for mid-season and mid-late varieties +19°C. At soil temperatures below +6 and above +23-25°C, tuber growth is delayed, and at +29-30°C tuberization usually stops. In this case, watering is necessary.
Watering potatoes
Potatoes are very demanding of moisture. At the beginning of emergence and during the first period of tops formation, the need for moisture is small; the plant tolerates dry weather well. With the onset of budding and flowering, the need for moisture increases sharply. Its lack during this period leads to wilting of the leaves, which reduces the yield. At the end of the plant growing season, when the tops wither, potatoes require significantly less moisture than in previous periods.
In warm, dry weather, by the end of the growing season, a strong, thick skin forms on the tubers, which protects them from mechanical damage during harvesting and ensures better preservation in the winter. Rainy weather delays the ripening of tubers, and very delicate skins form on them. Such tubers are easily damaged during harvesting and are poorly stored.
Overmoistening of the soil in some years leads to rotting of tubers due to lack of oxygen. To have a sufficient amount of oxygen in the soil, it is necessary to loosen it.
Potatoes are photophilous. In the shade, with a lack of light, the stems stretch, the tops turn yellow, the yield of tubers decreases, and their taste deteriorates.
To obtain high yields, it is necessary to position the rows correctly in relation to the light. When the rows are directed from north to south, the plants are illuminated more evenly throughout the day than when they are directed from west to east.
Fertilizers for potatoes
For the growth and development of potatoes, the presence of mineral substances in the soil is necessary: nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, as well as microelements: boron, molybdenum, cobalt, etc. On most soils, potatoes have a maximum need for nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. With insufficient nitrogen nutrition, weak growth and branching of plant stems are observed. With an excess of nitrogen in the soil, excessive development of plant tops occurs, to the detriment of tubers, ripening is delayed, and the susceptibility of tubers to diseases increases.
Consequently, both excess nitrogen and its deficiency in the soil are harmful to the plant.
How to choose a place in the garden to grow potatoes?
Potatoes can grow in any soil, but higher yields are obtained in deep, loose and well-fertilized soil. Soddy-podzolic, loamy and sandy loam soils with a slightly acidic reaction of the soil solution (pH 5.5-6.5) are well suited.
If the area for planting potatoes is in low-lying areas with heavy clay soils where water stagnates and does not dry out for a long time in the spring and warms up slowly, then such soils can be used only after they have been cultivated - adding manure, sand, peat, ash, etc.
For early potatoes, the most suitable plots of land are on southern or southwestern slopes, protected from the north and northeast by forests or buildings.
Potatoes should not be planted in places where they were grown in previous years. The causative agents of many diseases and pests can overwinter in the soil on plant debris or remaining tubers, so when planted in an old place, tubers of a new crop can be severely affected by these diseases and pests.
Where should you not plant potatoes?
You cannot plant potatoes where tomatoes, peppers, or eggplants grew, since they are similar in origin and have common diseases. They try to place potatoes on the plot after cabbage, beets, cucumbers, lettuce, spinach, and carrots. If conditions do not allow you to annually change the area for planting potatoes, then in this case you can to some extent eliminate the negative impact of permanent planting. To do this, it is necessary to fertilize the area well, add peat, manure, compost, sow green manure and change planting material more often. In dry weather, water the plants regularly. If you are developing a new area, then with proper processing and care of the plants you can get a high yield of potatoes even without applying fertilizers, because virgin lands are better for potatoes. It is only important that the area is well drained and the depth of groundwater is no higher than 40-60 cm from the soil surface. If the humus layer is small, then it is advisable to add peat and turf soil to increase the moisture capacity and fertility of the soil.
In damp areas, drainage grooves are installed to drain excess water, which displaces air from the soil, as a result of which the roots and potato tubers flooded with water suffocate and rot.
What soil is best for growing potatoes?
Potatoes place high demands on soil looseness and breathability. It is best to dig up the soil in the area for planting potatoes in the fall, leaving it in layers for the winter, without leveling it with a harrow or rake. Also, in the fall, it would be good to dig drainage ditches to drain excess autumn rain and spring melt water from the site.
On heavy loamy soils in the fall it is useful to make ridges. This ensures that the soil dries out earlier in the spring. In addition, this promotes better snow retention and frost destruction of weed seeds and pest larvae.
In the spring, the area is leveled with a rake or harrow, and then dug up or plowed again, but smaller (2-5 cm) than during autumn tillage, so as not to turn weed seeds to the surface of the soil. All work on the spring preparation of soil for potatoes should be carried out in a timely manner and of high quality. It is especially necessary to ensure that the soil has normal moisture, crumbles well, and is not smeared, since when processing waterlogged soil, unloosened layers are formed, while dry soil forms lumps. In blocky soil, tubers become deformed and lose their marketable quality.
Pre-planting treatment of arable peat soils usually comes down to shallow loosening and harrowing, leveling the surface, and destroying weed seedlings before planting potatoes.
The great need of potatoes for nutrients necessitates the application of increased doses of fertilizers to this crop.
Organic fertilizers for potatoes
The main source of replenishment of nutrients for potatoes is different kinds organic fertilizers, and primarily manure, peat manure and other composts.
The best organic fertilizer for potatoes is manure, especially peat manure obtained by using peat as bedding for livestock. The average dose of manure for potatoes, as well as other organic fertilizers, is 5-10 kg per 1 m2 of plot area.
On loamy soils organic fertilizers applied in the fall. In spring, only rotted manure can be given. On light sandy and sandy loam soils, organic fertilizers are applied mainly in the spring.
The fertilizer is spread evenly over the surface of the soil and then dug up or plowed with a plow. It is impossible to leave manure or composts on the soil surface for a long time, as they quickly dry out and lose their value.
If there is not enough organic fertilizer, it is better to apply it to the furrow or hole during planting. This makes it possible to reduce the dose of fertilizers by two to three times and get an increase in tuber yield no less than from scattered application of large doses. When applied locally, fertilizer nutrients are less susceptible to absorption by the soil and are more used by the plant, since they are located in the zone of development of the bulk of the roots.
To cultivate garden plots, you can also use clean, well-ventilated and decomposed peat. However, its nutritional value for plants is several times less than that of peat composts, mixtures of peat with slurry. Mixtures of peat with bird droppings are applied under potatoes mainly in the fall.
Sludge can be used in its pure form as a fertilizer, but in this case it must be ventilated during the summer to reduce the content of harmful nitrogen compounds. An effective organic fertilizer is sapropel, which accumulates in large quantities in water bodies.
Chicken manure is also a very valuable organic fertilizer. The rate of application of fresh raw manure should not exceed 20-40 kg per 10 m2.
A significant additional source of organic fertilizers can be green manure crops, the green mass of which is used for fertilizer. Among them are oilseed radish, spring rape, white mustard, and Sarepta mustard. All of them belong to the cabbage family, have a short growing season, and tolerate autumn frosts well. They are cultivated in areas after early harvested crops (early potatoes, greens, radishes, etc.), the seeds are sown to a depth of 2-3 cm. The seed sowing rate is 200-300 g per hundred square meters. These crops are plowed into the soil in late autumn. It has been established that green fertilizers help to increase the starchiness of tubers and reduce morbidity.
Manure and composts contain all the nutrients needed by plants. However, organic fertilizers decompose slowly, and applied before and during planting, they do not immediately become available to the plant. During the initial period of potato growth and development, these fertilizers are used poorly. To provide plants with a sufficient amount of nutrients in the earliest period of life, in addition to organic fertilizers, mineral fertilizers are added, which contain nutrients in an easily digestible form.
Do you need mineral fertilizers to grow potatoes?
The effect of mineral fertilizers on the growth and development of potatoes on different soils is not the same. On sandy and sandy loam soils with low humus content, higher increases in tuber yield are obtained from the use of nitrogen and potassium fertilizers. On chernozems and gray forest soils, productivity especially increases when nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers are used. Plants develop especially well when full mineral fertilizer is applied, which provides potatoes not only with nitrogen, but also with phosphorus and potassium. When organic and mineral fertilizers are applied together, the correct ratio of nutrients is established in the soil, ensuring an uninterrupted supply of nutrients to potatoes throughout the entire growing season.
You should know that both a lack of nutrients and their excess are equally harmful to potatoes. If there is an excess of nitrogen, the potatoes go into the tops without forming tubers.
Complete mineral fertilizer is usually used in the spring for digging or plowing the area in the form of superphosphate, potassium chloride and ammonium nitrate, 30 g of each per 1 m2. Complex fertilizers (nitrophoska), containing all three types of nutrients, are applied at the rate of 60-90 g per 1 square meter. meter.
Currently, the most accessible mineral fertilizers for the population are ammonium nitrate (1-2 kg per 100 m2), urea (urea) (1-1.5 kg per 100 m2, double superphosphate (5-10 kg per 100 m 2), potassium chloride (2-4 kg per 100 m2), nitroammophoska (3-4 kg per 100 m2) and a number of others.
For effective use of fertilizers, it is necessary to take into account the specific conditions of potato cultivation (fertility, mechanical composition soil, moisture supply, etc.) and adjust the dose in accordance with them.
If there is insufficient application of fertilizers before planting and during planting, they are added to the fertilizer. Fertilizing with nitrogen should be carried out as early as possible, when the plant height is 10-12 cm. Application of nitrogen at a later date leads to unripe tubers and a decrease in their quality.
Fertilizing with potassium fertilizers can be carried out at a later date. Phosphorus fertilizers are less effective in fertilizing. Before precipitation falls, fertilizing potatoes has a good effect mineral fertilizers and ash.