Everyone who grows vegetables wants to get a high yield. The most popular and popular vegetable culture is the potato, which in countries with a temperate climate is rightly considered "second bread". Usually average potato yields from 1 hectare do not exceed 15-20 tons. But these are very low indicators! In fact, the yield of root crops can be much larger. Let's try to find out: how can you increase the potato yield?
Factors affecting the yield of potatoes
Potato yield per hectare is directly related to a number of factors:
- quality of seed potatoes;
- preparation of seed;
- implementation of landing technology;
- region of cultivation and weather conditions;
- soil quality;
- watering;
- fertilization of potato growing area;
- control of diseases and pests;
- carrying out of operations on care of culture.
How to increase the potato yield?
The maximum yield of potatoes can be provided if a number of conditions are met. First of all, it is necessary to choose a variety of potatoes, which is successfully grown in this area. It should be guided by the State Register of Cultivated Plants, recommended for cultivation in a particular area. It should also be taken into account that even the most remarkable variety when cultivated on one site for several years gradually reduces yield. Therefore, every 3 to 4 years, you need to change the planting material.
For growing potatoes, the most suitable are soils with a structure that provides good moisture and air permeability, mainly sandy and sandy loamy. But clay and solonchak soils are not suitable for cultivation of root crops. Before planting, it is required to carry out a qualitative loosening so that tubers get enough moisture and air during vegetation. Excellent, if alfalfa and other fodder crops, as well as legumes, were involved as siderates (predecessors).
In the best way, the productivity of early and late potatoes is affected by the application of fertilizers for plowing. It can be organic top dressing (compost, manure dumped or bird droppings) and mineral fertilizers, primarily potassium-phosphorus complexes. For early varieties of potatoes, supplementation with magnesium-containing fertilizers is also necessary.
Technological ways to increase potato yields
Timely carrying out of technological operations at cultivation of a potato: weeding, hilling, struggle against wreckers, is the pledge of a good crop.
There are a number of methods that allow increasing the potato yield.
The Gülich method
The earth is divided into sections of 1x1 m. In each square, humus is introduced and a large tuber is placed. After the appearance of sprouts in the center of the bush poured loose soil, so that the shoots grew at an angle. The procedure is repeated until the formation of a bush with several tiers. With good watering, one plant yields 16 kg of potatoes.
Potatoes are planted in beds 0.5 m in width and 1 m between them. The beds are enclosed by earthen ridges to save water. The culture is regularly watered and 3 times a season is fed, but there is no hilling. The method allows to reduce the area allocated for potatoes and increase the yield to 50-55 tons from 1 hectare.
Dutch technology
The currently popular Dutch technology allows you to collect 2 kg of tubers from a bush. Its peculiarity is that the planting potatoes should have 3 - 5 cm in diameter and be etched with special preparations. The tubers are planted in crests 25 cm high, the rows between rows are not less than 65 cm. The season is watered at least 3 times and loosened for soil aeration. A week and a half before the planned harvesting is removed all the tops.
Another effective way to increase the potato yield is to eliminate the peduncles in the bud formation phase.