Standards for growing potatoes
The land is primarily cultivated with a plow chisel. Tilling the land in the fall helps to warm the soil in the spring, which provides an opportunity for early planting. The freezing and thawing processes that occur in the winter season help to break up the accumulated soil and thus make the most of the tillage process. Plowing the sloping lands in the spring contributes to reducing the erosion of the soil that loses its surface layer, which negatively affects potato cultivation, and can resist erosion by covering the potatoes with a cover crop in the autumn, and using pure varieties of seeds. Soil mulch in the fall season helps prepare the soil, provided there is sufficient time and labor, and in which the soil is prepared by plowing, irrigating and spraying it with fertilizers, in addition to preparing places designated for planting seeds in it the following spring. In the event that the places designated for planting seeds are not prepared in advance in the spring, it is important to work after plowing the land. If fertilizers are not applied before spring, they can be applied immediately after or before the end of the planting process. Special equipment is placed between the rows of seeds, such as basins that prevent water from running between the rows. To help irrigation water be distributed regularly and not be wasted.
Farming
The number of seasons in which potatoes can be grown varies in different regions. Each region is characterized by a different number of seasons from other regions, and the following table shows the number of seasons in some countries: [3]
Be sure to choose good varieties of seeds before planting. This is because the process of growing potatoes is considered somewhat expensive, and the weight of a single seed should range between 42.5 – 56.7 grams. Seeds less than 42.5 grams often produce a lower yield. [6] After selecting the seeds, the following steps are followed: [6] cutting The seeds before planting and waiting for them to heal and then planting, but in the absence of time or enough space to store the cut seeds until they heal, it is possible to plant them directly, and sometimes fungicides are used in order to treat the pieces of seeds so that they heal faster if these seeds are stored before three Days or more of planting them. Sow the seeds approximately 10 cm below the ground. The possibility of applying fertilizers and pesticides at the same time. Leave a space of approximately 91 cm between the rows of seeds. Placing soil over the rows of seeds during early planting, and when the tubers begin to form, soil is added to a height of approximately 15 cm. This height may differ according to the varieties of seeds used. [6] After the buds emerge and the tubers form, these tubers are exposed and turn green due to exposure to radiation. The sun directly and thus inedible; Therefore, it is important to add soil to it to cover it and protect it from direct sunlight, noting that the buds appear about 10-14 days after planting, and this period varies according to the depth of planting the seeds. [7]
The weeds and weeds that grow in potato fields must be controlled, as they compete with potatoes in consuming water, light and nutrients in the soil, in addition to the accumulation of insects on them and cause disease transmission, and they are controlled by following specific regulations in agriculture or the use of herbicides or both. The insecticide must be sure that it is intended for the potato crop, and specify the types of weeds to be disposed of, and follow the instructions attached to the pesticide. The pesticide can also be sprayed using special equipment to spray it, or by making use of sprinkler irrigation systems. [6]
Irrigation
Potato crops need to be irrigated constantly, and in general, the potato crop, which takes 120-150 days to grow, needs a quantity of water ranging between 500 – 700 ml, and crop production may decrease due to depletion of 50% of the total available soil water during the growth period, and because of the water deficit At the present time, varieties of seeds with long roots are being developed to resist drought, as these long roots are able to access water sources in the ground, which reduces their need for irrigated water, so that the crop can benefit from the water stored in the roots, and this process helps to increase The dry matter content of potatoes, which speeds up their ripening. [8]
There are a number of considerations that must be taken into account when irrigating potato crops, as follows: [8] The different ability of crop varieties to respond to irrigation. Varieties with fewer tubers need less water than varieties with more tubers. Maintaining adequate soil moisture, noting that a significant increase in humidity can increase aeration problems in the soil. Lack of frequent watering with cold water; As it reduces the soil temperature so that it becomes less than the appropriate value for forming tubers, which ranges between 15-18 d
