Seed selection & acquisition
Seed selection: Variety selection depends on many factors. The primary determinant is the purpose for which the potato is grown. For example, if the variety is meant for ware potatoes, the choice will favor those that give maximum returns in the local market.
Purchase certified seed potatoes from seed merchants who have been certified and registered by KEPHIS.
Check for the availability of the certificate of authenticity as you buy your seeds. Check the seed purchased to ensure it meets the information given on the label such as crop species, variety, seed class, seed size grade in mm, grower number, lot number, packaging unit (kg), year of production, date of certification, country.
NB: It is advisable to sprout your seed prior to planting to allow the seed tuber to start growing in the store before planting in the field. This will reduce the time from planting to emergence.
Sprout your irish potato seeds in a diffused light store (DLS) and spread the seeds thinly on a flat surface, either on the floor of the DLS or in crates. This permits controlled sprout growth in contrast to the uncontrolled growth which occurs when seed tubers are stored in bags.
SPROUTING TIPS:
Remove the seed from the bags and spread thinly in trays in the diffused light store.
The seed tubers should not be stacked more than three layers deep. This will ensure good sprouting and the sprouts formed will be strong with good color, so that during transportation to the field for planting, sprouts do not break off easily.
Inspect the boxes at regular intervals to check for aphid infestation of the new sprouts and discard any tubers showing symptoms of rotting.
Plant the tubers directly from the sprouting box.
Tipping them into bags or other containers will knock off the sprout, negating the growth already achieved. This will result in uneven and /or delayed emergence, as the sprouted tubers will emerge before those whose sprouts were broken off.
Keep the certification label for future use and traceability.
Land Preparation
Land preparation of Irish potatoes requires soft soil for the development of uniform, large and smooth tubers.
Ploughing your land 20cm deep and breaking clods to obtain a firm and weed free surface. It will also help improve soil tilth.
Proper soil preparation allows for aeration, free drainage and aids in decomposition of other crop residues.
Land preparation should be done before the onset of rains to avoid compaction. Compacted soils have poor supply of air hence poor yields. Compacted soil also leads resistance to root penetration and tuber development.
Steps of land preparation for Irish potatoes
1. Vegetation clearing: Slash the bushes and weeds on your farm.
2. Ploughing: Plough your land 3 weeks before planting. Plough to a depth of 20-25 cm using a disc plough or 15 cm deep using hand hoes. For virgin Land (land that has never been cultivated or used for agricultural purposes) plough twice at an interval of one week.
3. Harrowing: Harrow your land before preparation of furrows and ridges.
4. Leveling: Level your land to allow equal surface water distribution. Using a hoe, level the land moving the soil into the depressed surfaces along the contour.
Planting and spacing
Planting should coincide with the start of rains so as to maximize water utilization. The seeds should be placed in furrows with sprouts facing up. The planting and furrow depth should be 8-12cm. Plant seed tubers in furrows at a spacing of 75 cm between rows and 30cm within rows with sprouts facing up for faster and uniform germination. This gives a population of. 44,400 tubers per hectare (18000 per acre). This spacing allows for cultural practices such as scouting for pests and diseases, spraying, rouging and harvesting to be carried out easily.
